Musical

Operation Mincemeat

Q: How long is Operation Mincemeat on Broadway?

Operation Mincemeat runs for approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

Q: Does Operation Mincemeat have an intermission?

Yes, Operation Mincemeat features one 15-minute intermission between Act 1 and Act 2.

Q: Is Operation Mincemeat appropriate for children?

Operation Mincemeat is recommended for ages 6 and up, though children under 4 are not admitted into the theatre.

Q: Is Operation Mincemeat based on a true story?

Yes, Operation Mincemeat is based on the actual 1943 British MI5 intelligence operation that used a dead body carrying fake military documents to misdirect Axis forces during World War II.

Q: How many actors are in the cast of Operation Mincemeat?

Operation Mincemeat features an ensemble cast of just five actors who rapidly double up to play over thirty distinct roles throughout the performance.

Operation Mincemeat is a fast-paced West End and Broadway musical comedy created by the British theatre troupe SpitLip, chronicling the stranger-than-fiction 1943 military deception that helped the Allies invade Sicily. Written by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, the hit spy caper follows MI5 officers Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley as they orchestrate a covert plan to drop a dead body carrying fake intelligence documents off the coast of Spain to trick the Axis powers. Combining razor-sharp satire, energetic rap, tap dancing, and poignant balladry, the five-member cast performs dozens of roles in a frantic, hilarious homage to wartime British ingenuity and bureaucratic absurdity.

Reviews (42)

Most helpful Most recent Highest rated

4.0

Based on ratings from 4 members · 42 reviews

75% Recommends

25% Maybe

0% Doesn't recommend

Every review here is from a Theatreview member who saw the show. How our ratings work

@orpheus

National Tour

Feb 24, 2026 · The Lowry - Lyric Theatre, Salford · Evening

Maybe

I was probably expecting more because of the fact it’s (famously) the best reviewed musical in West End history. Seems to come from it being so infectiously fun and hard to dislike as opposed to being anything mind blowing. Found a lot of the songs samey (though all worked for their respective scenes/set pieces) and the cast excellent. Highlight was Christian Andrews and he deservedly got the loudest cheers at curtain call.

Synopsis

It’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Luckily, they’ve got a trick up their sleeve. Well, not up their sleeve, per se, but rather inside the pocket of a stolen corpse. Equal parts farce, thriller, and Ian Fleming-style spy caper (with an assist from Mr. Fleming himself), Operation Mincemeat tells the wildly improbable and hilarious true story of the covert operation that turned the tide of WWII.

Production history

All productions Now playing

Broadway

John Golden Theatre

New York

Mar 20, 2025 – Present

Current

West End

Fortune Theatre

London

Apr 29, 2023 – Present

Current

National Tour

Touring production

Musical numbers

Act 1

Born to Lead
God That's Brilliant
Dead in the Water
All the Ladies
The Pitch
Making a Man
Dear Bill
Sail On, Boys

Act 2

Operation Mincemeat
Useful
Act As If
Did You Lie?
A Useful Fool
Finale

Frequently asked questions

How long is Operation Mincemeat on Broadway?

Operation Mincemeat runs for approximately 2 hours and 20 minutes, including one 15-minute intermission.

Does Operation Mincemeat have an intermission?

Yes, Operation Mincemeat features one 15-minute intermission between Act 1 and Act 2.

Is Operation Mincemeat appropriate for children?

Operation Mincemeat is recommended for ages 6 and up, though children under 4 are not admitted into the theatre.

Is Operation Mincemeat based on a true story?

Yes, Operation Mincemeat is based on the actual 1943 British MI5 intelligence operation that used a dead body carrying fake military documents to misdirect Axis forces during World War II.

How many actors are in the cast of Operation Mincemeat?

Operation Mincemeat features an ensemble cast of just five actors who rapidly double up to play over thirty distinct roles throughout the performance.

Ratings

4.0

Based on ratings from 4 members · 42 reviews

5★

50%

4★

25%

3★

25%

2★

1★

Recommends

75%

Maybe

25%

Doesn't recommend

How our ratings work →

Details

Runtime: 2 hr 20 min, 1 intermission
Age guidance: Recommended for ages 6 and up; children under 4 not admitted
World premiere: 2019

Good to know

Creative Collective SpitLip
Breakout Song 'Dear Bill'
Off-West End Origins Began at the New Diorama Theatre

Creative team

Direction: Robert Hastie
Choreography: Jenny Arnold, Tara Young
Music Direction: Joe Bunker

Awards

Olivier Award for Best New Musical — 2024 · Winner
Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical — 2024 · Winner

Content advisories

Occasional strong language
Flashing lights and theatrical haze effects
References to war and death

Themes

Military espionage
Bureaucracy
Unsung heroes
Wartime deception
Class and privilege