Operation Mincemeat. Royal & Derngate. Northampton.
Who knew a musical about a British operation in World War II could be so fun!?
There are no flying witches or singing lions here. This touring musical, directed by Robert Hastie, follows a British intelligence operation in 1943 in which false documents are planted on a corpse to mislead the Nazis into believing that an invasion of Sardinia is imminent. And if that doesn’t sound mad enough, guess what… it is based on a true story!
One of the most surprising elements of this production is its ridiculously funny take on it all. The jokes come so quickly that you’re still laughing at one when the next arrives, and so much of the choreography, directed by Jenny Arnold, has such a satirical and clever punch. For me personally, and I think for a lot of people watching, the comedy was the absolute highlight of the show. There were countless moments I could say I genuinely laughed out loud for.
Usually when I write a review, I like to pick out one or two actors that really stood out to me; however, I have found that this is impossible when it comes to this production. There are only five actors on stage, and each of them has a remarkable voice and perfect comedic timing. Christian Andrews, Charlotte Hanna-Williams, Seán Carey, Jamie-Rose Monk and Holly Sumpton. The people must know their names.
Every musical sequence is met with either an explosion of energy or touching sincerity. In the first act, Hester (played by Christian Andrews) sings Dear Bill, a song about loving someone you miss and hope to see again. Once the song ends, the theatre falls silent for a moment, letting the emotion settle before whoops and cheers fill the room. The Glitzy Finale is one of the best ways I have seen a show end, and whilst I won’t spoil what they do in this sequence, I think you can guess from the title that it’s exactly as gloriously over-the-top as it sounds. I must credit Robert Hastie and Jenny Arnold for creating such a powerful ending.
I think that when many people go to see a West End production that is not performing in the West End, there is little expectation that the staging will be as good. This is not the case for Operation Mincemeat. Set designer Ben Stones wonderfully creates a stage that feels grand and open, effectively immersing the audience in the show. Props supervisors Chris Marcus and Jonathan Hall also enhance the performance by using objects that the actors can incorporate into their choreography.
The Derngate is packed with people from all over Northampton who have come to see a relatively new show, unsure whether it will be their cup of tea, probably expecting a respectable history lesson. But disappointment is certainly not in store. Throughout the night, laughter and clapping erupt in the room. By the end of it, the whole audience stands and applauds. It is a musical worth getting off your bum for.
Operation Mincemeat will be performing at the Royal & Derngate until the 18th of July, so hurry up and get tickets whilst you can, because they are going quickly!
If you are not local to Northampton, then don’t fret. The musical is continuing to tour around the UK until the 28th of November, so have a peek at their website to see if they are coming to your local theatre.
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
