Operation Mincemeat at John Golden Theatre

Having taken the West End by storm in productions about the country, this captivating musical comedy about a wacky British spy operation during World War II is now invading New York City. In Operation Mincemeat, it’s 1943, and the Allied Forces are on the ropes. Fortunately, they’ve got one trick up their sleeve. Well, not entirely up their sleeve, but rather inside the pocket of a looted corpse. This Ian Fleming-style spy caper is equal parts farce and thriller. Don’t miss out on this wildly improbable and hilarious real-life story of the covert operation that turned the tide of World War II. Book your tickets now to secure your spot! 

Operation Mincemeat Tickets

“Operation Mincemeat has proved to be one of the most exciting musical theatre debuts in decades.” – The Stage

John Golden Theatre

The best-reviewed production in West End history is crossing the pond and making its way to Broadway! Operation Mincemeat is the 2024 Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical for a reason!! It’s London’s biggest hit with a whopping 74 Five-Star reviews! With a star-studded cast and captivating book, it’s no wonder The Washington Post hailed it as “the year’s funniest musical.” And what better way to cut the Broadway ribbon than at the finest venue in New York City?! Opening its curtains at the stunning John Golden Theatre on 20 March 2025, the Operation Mincemeat will first show previews from 15 February 2025. The John Golden Theatre, suited and booted with all the glitzy special effects you would expect from a world class venue, is the perfect place to experience this critically acclaimed musical comedy! Located in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan, the John Golden Theatre is an intimate venue with 802 seats across two levels. That means it’s the ideal spot to catch this award-winning production live, up-close and personal! 

Synopsis

Set in 1943 during World War II, Operation Mincemeat tells the real-life story of how Britain was able to deceive the Germans through an elaborate ruse. The tale follows intelligence officers as they plant fake documents in the briefcase of a corpse. These documents contain false secrets which were designed to trick the Germans about the true target for the Allied invasion of Sicily.

“This gem of a musical is a rip-roaring British success story” – London Theatre

Creative Team

The original star-studded cast of the 2024 Olivier Award®-winning Operation Mincemeat will reprise their critically revered roles for the Broadway transfer at the Golden Theatre. The musical comedy will feature the incredibly talented David Cumming, Claire-Marie Hall, Natasha Hodgson, Olivier Award-winner Jak Malone, and Zoë Roberts.

The creative team includes Director Robert Hastie, Choreographer Jenny Arnold, Set & Costume Designer Ben Stones, Lighting Designer Mark Henderson, Sound Designer Mike Walker, and Orchestration Steve Sidwell. Meanwhile, the show’s writers and composers are David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, who are known collectively as SpitLip.

“We knew we didn’t have the money or the facilities to make a big ‘wow’ comedy show,” Natasha Hodgson recalled. “We didn’t have the contacts or the experience to cause a splash.

“But we loved this story so much, and thought that if we pulled all our resources together, we’d have one shot at doing it justice.”

Felix Hagan continued: “Then we slowly started to show it to people, and miraculously they seemed to agree that this truly preposterous tale of corpses, posh boys and newts was just the sort of thing to put on next to the Lion King.”

Zoë Roberts said there was something about “a ludicrous tale of a band of misfits joining together with a plan to achieve something massive that’s always felt really special to a bunch of pals who’ve spent years making comedy together on the Fringe”.

History and Awards

This British spy operation has been featured in popular culture throughout the years. In 1956, the movie, The Man Who Never Was, was based on the real-life story. Meanwhile, it was also made into a 2021 movie starring Colin Firth, Matthew Macfadyen and Kelly Macdonald. 

The stage adaptation first started in an 80-seat fringe theatre in London. Over the years, it made such an impact that it took home both an Olivier and a WhatsOnStage award for best new musical. Through word of mouth and critical acclaim, Operation Mincemeat reached West End and is now making its way to Broadway. The show will begin previews at the John Golden Theatre on Broadway on 15 February 2025.

David Cumming said: “There’s a real sense of vertigo when comparing where we started to where we are now.

“It’s hard to believe that our precious baby of a show has grown into what feels like a leviathan that’s now riding across the pond. It’s both exciting and daunting.”

Review 

Armed with shining reviews from both sides of the Atlantic – including praise from The Telegraph, Time Out, The Evening Standard, Washington Post, The New Yorker, and The New York Times, it’s no wonder Operation Mincemeat is highly anticipated on Broadway. The Telegraph’s Marianka Swain described it as a “glorious combination of ingenious, silly and surprisingly moving”.

“It honours these war heroes, but with that key British asset: a sense of humour,” she said.

“They’re laser-focussed on getting us to laugh,” cheered Time Out’s Andrzej Lukowski. “There’s little of the saccharine baggage of the average musical, no romance, no learning life lessons, no big introspective moments.” Meanwhile, The Evening Standard’s Nick Curtis said it was an “exuberant, energetic, incurably daft show”, adding its “five-year journey through fringe and regional theatres has become part of the story”.

“Operation Mincemeat is a polished fast-moving hilarious West End musical comedy that deserves a long run” – Theatre Reviews