Operation Mincemeat Takes the Leap from West End to Broadway
Broadway is about to get a taste of a very British blend of comedy and history. Operation Mincemeat, the musical that scored a Best New Musical win at the 2023 Olivier Awards, is finally crossing the Atlantic. What makes this jump special? The original London cast is sticking together for the big move. So, audiences in New York will see the very same actors—David Cumming, Claire-Marie Hall, Natasha Hodgson, Jak Malone, and Zoë Roberts—who made the show a runaway hit back home. For fans of London’s vibrant theatre scene, seeing this crew reunite on Broadway is just about as authentic as it gets.
Jak Malone, who took home the Olivier for Best Actor in a Musical, headlines the company. The show is the brainchild of SpitLip, a British comedy group known for sharp wit and inventive storytelling. Members Cumming, Hodgson, and Roberts not only co-wrote the music and lyrics but also lead the cast. Their chemistry fuelled the show’s box office appeal in the West End, where it earned 74 five-star reviews—a feat that’s nearly unheard of for a quirky new musical.
A True WWII Spy Story Gets a Musical Twist
The story behind Operation Mincemeat is as absurd as it is real. In 1943, Allied intelligence officers dreamed up a wild scheme: use a dead body, disguised as a fake British officer, to fool the Nazis about their invasion plans. It sounds like the plot of a screwball comedy, but this was deadly serious—and it worked. The operation diverted German forces from Sicily and helped change the course of World War II. Now, the creators of the musical have injected new life (and plenty of laughs) into this high-stakes history lesson, blending laughs with bold storytelling and toe-tapping tunes.
Director Robert Hastie returns to helm the Broadway staging, keeping the winning formula intact. Choreography will again be handled by Jenny Arnold, whose energetic numbers helped turn the show into an audience favorite in London.
The action hits the John Golden Theatre, with previews starting February 15, 2025. Opening night is set for March 20. For the original cast, this marks their Broadway debut—a dream come true given the show’s modest birth in small UK venues before making its way through the West End and now to a theater just off Times Square.
While we know who’s stepping into the main roles, producers say more casting news will come soon. One thing’s clear: Operation Mincemeat isn’t your typical Broadway transfer. It arrives with the kind of buzz most new musicals would kill for, pulling U.S. theater fans into a world where wartime grit meets madcap British charm.
May, 9 2025