Review of Operation Mincemeat at Royal & Derngate (Derngate), Northampton

Operation Mincemeat, in this musical incarnation, is the latest in the line of tellings of a true story that began back in 1943. During the Second World War, a secret operation took place, which was later revealed in print by Ewan Montagu, one of its initial instigators. Titled The Man Who Never Was, this true story then became a film of the same name. Fast forward to 2021, and a film titled Operation Mincemeat appeared. Then, taking the same title as the original operation, this musical was born and developed on either side of the film's release before hitting London in 2023, and now at the Royal & Derngate as part of an extensive tour.

Operation Mincemeat's plan was to disguise the Allied invasion of Sicily. It saw two members of the British intelligence obtain a body, that of Glyndwr Michael, a homeless man who had died from eating rat poison, dress him as an officer of the Royal Marines and place personal items on him, identifying him as the fictitious Captain (Acting Major) William Martin.

The musical version of Operation Mincemeat arrives in Northampton on a continuous wave of praise. At last count, its publicity machine was quoting 150 Five-Star Reviews and it being “the best-reviewed show in West End history”. So, with such a history, surely this is another five-star in-the-bag review?

Well, thankfully, the mission reports are in, and all is well for a dazzling number of operational stars, as this is a exceptional, moving and enormously funny production. The book, music, and lyrics, brought together through the collaboration of David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, Felix Hagan, and Zoe Röberts, are stunning, proving a clever mix of intense, fast wordplay and songs that are gentle and highly emotional, telling this remarkable story with clarity and inventiveness.

The cast is top-notch, clearly brought together by their bios from high-calibre productions in their pasts, and each brings fully dimensional characters to the stage. Yes, many are caricatures, but even so, we learn their past, often hidden in the songs that develop them far beyond any stiff-upper-lip malarky.

The cast, made up of Christian Andrews, Seán Carey, Jamie-Rose Monk, Charlotte Hanna-Williams and Holly Sumpton, each has their main regular character, but each also brings a kaleidoscope of other brief characters to the stage, often with just a single new accoutrement, and it works superbly.

Andrews particularly dazzles in his mix of characters, including a dodgy body dealer; however, it is Hester, the prim and proper office lady, who truly steals certain scenes, including the incredible emotional performance of Dear Bill. That there is a song of such subtle emotion within what is generally, and slightly, slapstick, pacy comedy is remarkable in itself, but the way Andrews delivers it takes it to a whole new level.

Carey is a gloriously awkward Charles Cholmondeley, the brains behind Operation Mincemeat, but not with the drive to push it to the success it warrants. That is where Sumpton’s Ewen Montagu is needed, clean-cut and never short of ambition and drive; she leads the push for Charles's plan to succeed.

Jamie-Rose Monk offers a great mix of characters as well, including a brief appearance as Ian Fleming, the spy with a book to sell, and a sweaty man in Spain. However, as Johnny Bevan, the boss of the department seeking a plan to capture Sicily, she takes the lead, delivering fabulous timing and comic moments. Finally, in the cast, Hanna-Williams brings the sweet, willing office lady Jean to the show, eager to help and become part of the action and operations with tremendous enthusiasm.

Original direction by Robert Hastie, alongside tour direction by Georgie Straight, is incredibly slick, keeping the show moving at a swift pace while also allowing moments of calm for character development. Jenny Arnold’s choreography is sublime, adding a character of its own to the show and pushing this already hard-working cast to the very edge.

There is a fabulously simple-looking set from Ben Stones that constantly shows it is far from simple even to the very end, a big show number with reveal after reveal under its hat. This set is also brilliantly lit by Mark Henderson’s lighting design, including a backdrop that always seems to have another trick up its sleeve, like the set itself.

It feels rather boring to add another five-star review to the incredible catalogue the show already has; however, I cannot help but give it such. Operation Mincemeat is inventive, clever, brilliantly written and performed and provides one truly heightened moment of immense emotion in the bag. It deserves all the awards it has garnered, and more, and deserves your attention as it continues its tour around the UK.

Is it a five-star review, you say? Does a newt have four legs and a tail?

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

Performance reviewed: Monday, 13th July 2026, at the Royal & Derngate, Northampton.

Operation Mincemeat is at Royal & Derngate until Saturday, 18th July 2026, before continuing its tour.

For further details of the tour, see the website at https://operationmincemeat.com/

For further details about the Royal & Derngate and to book tickets, see their website at http://www.royalandderngate.co.uk

Production photos: Matt Crockett