Making Operation Mincemeat of the opposition
- Paul Genty
- 6 minutes ago
- 3 min read
Perhaps ironically, the show that demonstrates the plucky ingenuity of the underdog British at war is about to take on the world - starting where it began, at the Lowry in Salford.
Operation Mincemeat - the massive hit whose runs on Broadway and in the West End have been extended many times, currently both until next February - will go on world tour next year, taking in the USA, 40 dates in the UK, as well as dozens of other venues in Australia, Canada, China, Mexico and New Zealand.
The tour begins on February 16, 2026 at the Lowry - the theatre that first encouraged the Olivier award-winning and Tony-nominated writing team to create their show, co-commissioned the production and supported its early development - including hosting its first scratch performance in 2017.
Quite a start for a show now on its third Broadway extension (until February 15, 2026) and 15th West End extension until February 28.
The show will visit Bradford, Sheffield, Chester, York, Newcastle, Kingston (Hull), Leeds and Halifax in our region, Tickets for the UK leg will go on pre-sale on June 5 (10am), with general sales from June 6.
Equal parts farce, thriller and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (featuring Ian Fleming himself), Operation Mincemeat tells a wildly improbable but true story of a covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.
The five-man comedy is based on a genuine 1943 subterfuge perpetrated by Naval and RAF intelligence, in which the body of a homeless man was dressed in uniform and dumped at sea near Spain, carrying fake documents suggesting the allies would attack Sardinia. Once the Germans received the "secret" documents from Spanish sympathisers, German forces were doubled on Sardinia - leaving the allies to attack and take Sicily.
The show has become a monster hit on both sides of the Atlantic, but the decision to write the show was a last-ditch attempt at success for the quartet of young British creatives after years of performing sketch shows at the Edinburgh Fringe.
Operation Mincemeat began as a tiny production at London’s New Diorama Theatre, quickly gaining a devoted following and spurring sold-out runs at other venues, reaching the West End in May 2023, where it has since received 74 five-star reviews.
Now in its third sold-out year, the show continues to play to standing-room-only crowds and has built one of London’s most passionate fanbases. It has been nominated for 64 awards since opening at the 77-seat New Diorama in 2019, winning 13, including "best musical" three times (from the Oliviers, the WhatsOnStage awards and Off-West End awards. On Broadway, the show has four Tony award nominations this year, having opened in February.
The four writers - David Cumming, Felix Hagen, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts - known collectively as SpitLip - are still coming to terms with their success:
"We couldn't be more grateful for every unpredictable twist of this astonishing journey. Most of all, we wish to thank the audiences who continue to carry the show with love and enthusiasm.
"Operation Mincemeat reminds us that in uncertain times, the bonds between allies are more important than ever - and that message feels especially relevant as we consider the great nations in which our show will now have the opportunity to play. This show continues to be the adventure of a lifetime, and we're wildly excited about what's to come.”