If Victoria Wooden and Eric Idle wrote a musical about World Conflict Two, within the fashion of Hamilton – you’d be someplace within the area of Operation Mincemeat.
I first turned conscious of this present in 2019 when it was reviewed for me on the New Diorama Theatre. It went on to be shortlisted for Finest Off-West Finish Present on the 2019 West Finish Wilma awards (however misplaced out to Little Store of Horrors on the Open Air Theatre). Additional productions came about at Southwark Playhouse in 2020, 2021 & 2022, after which a stint at Riverside Studios. Earlier this 12 months, after The Lady in Black closed within the West Finish after 33 years, Operation Mincemeat lastly made its inevitable transfer into the West Finish the place it has been promoting out each evening on the Fortune Theatre.
Operation Mincemeat is a fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that received us World Conflict II utilizing a false id, a lifeless corpse and willpower to out-wit Hitler.
This ensemble forged play a number of, gender-bending roles and it’s clear to see why this refreshingly British comedy has gained a cult following who return evening after evening to see the present.
Christian Andrews steals the present as Hester Leggatt, with the heartfelt rendition of ‘Pricey Invoice’ (a track I’ve not stopped listening to since) the place we see the softer facet of a hard-nosed workplace busybody, lamenting in regards to the unlucky facet of falling in love throughout a battle. Natasha Hodgson (Ewen Montagu) and Zoë Roberts (Johnny Bevan) – two of the creators of the present, give flawless performances, while Seán Carey provides quirkiness as Charles Cholmondeley and Claire-Marie Corridor has beautiful vocals as Jean Leslie.
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical has prolonged its West Finish run for the sixth time by means of fifteenth June 2024 and I’m positive it should proceed and have an excellent life within the West Finish the place it belongs. British theatre at its best.
Reviewed by West Finish Wilma
REVIEW by Nicole Faraday – New Diorama Theatre, 2019 ★★★★★
My evaluation may make you assume that I do know individuals on this manufacturing, or am in a roundabout way related to the corporate however I can guarantee you I’m not, however as a jobbing actress, I want I used to be.
Watching Splitlip’s “Operation Mincemeat” a musical comedy interpretation of a factual, but inconceivable, wartime occasion that ostensibly helped the allies win the battle, was exhilarating and felt like an absolute privilege. It’s the first time that I’ve been within the viewers of a brand new piece of writing like this, that was so participating and deserving of a wider viewers that I really feel positive will probably be (if there’s any justice on this planet) the following large factor.
The corporate “Splitlip” comprising of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts, wrote, composed and carried out the piece, alongside the equally proficient Jak Malone and Rory Furey-King. The guide musical is predicated on factual occasions of just a little identified wartime coup, involving the deception of the Nazis with deliberate placement of the physique of a homeless man on a Spanish seaside, given a false id with fabricated paperwork about his individual main the enemy to consider that the Allies deliberate to invade Greece and Sardinia, disguising the 1943 Allied invasion of Sicily.
While you consider a musical comedy based mostly on the second world battle, it instantly conjures photos of “Springtime For Hitler” the spoof inside Mel Brooks’ musical comedy “The Producers” and but whereas it supplied countless laughs and faultless comedic performances, this musical advised a real story that educated the viewers and moved us in equal measure. When Jak Malone (as Hester) sang “her” transferring lament, “why did we meet in the midst of a battle..what a foolish factor for anybody to do” of her beau, it introduced tears to my eyes as I considered all these affected in wartime who knew they could by no means see their family members once more.
Ladies performed males and males performed ladies on this musical, with properly designed androgynous interval costumes by Helen Coyston. The performances had been such that you just completely purchased into the characters and had been oblivious to the gender reversal. The actors performed a number of roles with panache, reality, wit and flawless accents and I may empathise with all of them.
The songs themselves had been cleverly written, very properly sung, memorable tunes that maintained their originality with out being contrived, whereas giving a nod to many Broadway and West Finish greats in fashion. There have been songs reminiscent (although not a replica) of Cabaret, Lease, Les Mis, Bugsy Malone, Chicago, Rocky Horror, Jekyll and Hyde and most positively Hamilton… although (whisper it quietly) I most popular it to Hamilton as I discovered it simpler to observe and heard each phrase.
One in every of my favorite tv programmes is the BAFTA award successful “Horrible Histories “ with its comedic however informative tackle moments in historical past and this jogged my memory of that, in fashion and efficiency, with a multi proficient forged of storytelling musical actors, and I urge anybody with an curiosity in factual anecdotes, lesser identified tales of wartime or certainly simply an all spherical splendidly entertaining evening out, to beg, steal or borrow a ticket earlier than this present turns into the sellout it deserves to be. Bravo.
