★★★★★
This is history folks! 'Operation Mincemeat' was a real life strategy to deceive the German command by using a dead body adrift in the sea which held false information on Britain's war plans which was used to help a vital push forward as the war was reaching it's peak in 1943. A recent 2022 movie starring Colin Firth garnered good reviews, however this musical version debuted in 2019 and proudly boasts that it is 'the best reviewed show in West End history!'. Naturally we had to see what the fuss was about and headed out to see the musical's first UK tour.
Written by founding members of the SplitLip Theatre Company (David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, Zöe Roberts), the story is told in a mash up of traditional revue, musical theatre and farce. Each of the five cast members play a multitude of roles which in some cases involve eyewatering quick changes.
Seán Carey bring s touch of the loner geek to Charles Cholmondeley, an MI5 operative who devised the cunning plan to thwart the Nazis. His increasing panic as events start to unfold is a delight. Christian Andrews creates MI5 secretary Hester Leggatt with great sensitivity, his solo number 'Dear Bill' is surprisingly moving as Hester helps with pieceing together a convincing letter romantic letter to be planted on the deceased decoy. Andrews has multiple roles and is a knock out in every one. Jamie-Rose Monk brings considerable comic timing to firstly Johnny Bevan, the operative who pitches the idea to Churchill and then to a dazzling array of protagonists including one Ian Fleming, who bangs on about the spy book he has just written. I wonder what became of him? Charlotte Hanna-Williams is Jean Leslie, who is recruited to pose as the fictious Major William Martin's fiancee. Bringing up the rear - so to speak - is Holly Sumpton as Ewen Montagu, another of the MI5 operatives to bring together this daring plan.
Ben Stones' design is both a clever use of sparse props and furniture, creating locales from England, to Germany to Spain. Robert Hastie's direction never allows the pace to let up, and we the audience are swept away with the daring plan and the many points in which it can go wrong. Some of the scenes are almost surreal in their execution, take the opening of Act Two as Nazi's gyrate as if in some kind of disco hell during the song 'Das Übermensch'. There are swipes at the class system throughout along with a liberal dose of good old fashioned word play. Its quite the mixture of styles and storytelling, but somehow it all gells superbly. The audience are drawn in and left agog to know how the plan will progress.
The four piece band belt out the numbers with gusto, making sure the fabulous five deliver their solos with impressive skill. We weren't quite sure what we were going to get with Operation Mincemeat, however we couldn't fault it as an entertainment. The fact that several moments moved us so greatly was equally a surprise. This cast can do it all!
The best reviewed show in West End history? We now see that this is not hyperbole, it is just sheer quality theatre winning through. This is one hilarious history lesson you won't want to miss. Quite simply, it showcases just why live theatre continues to be an unbeatable experience. Save up your ration coupons and go.
Rob & Ian
Full details of Operation Mincemeat productions worldwide can be found at the OFFICIAL WEBSITE
Further listening:
The original 2023 West End cast recording released by Sony is ready for a code breaking, secret listen on streaming, CD and vinyl.
i went to see this play last night and walked out half way through as it was that bad. i had expected it to be some talking and some singing but it was very fast 'rap style' singing, so fast i could not understand most of what was being spoken. it is more like fast rap 'gangster' singing [i use singing very loosely] which if your 12 might be your thing but it was sang by 2 of the women in such a high pitch screechy pitch that made it undefinable. I'm told it was supposed to be funny and it may have been but they 'talked' so fast i could not take it in most of the time, i could not hear what they were saying very well as the sound system must have been set up by one of my 5 year old grandchildren, so much bass in places it overpowered to rest then too much treble which made it such a high tone it made my ears hurt and a pack of dogs appear outside.
ReplyDeletei'm not sure why they had women dressed and acting mens roles maybe if it had been men the singing tone would have been better and understandable.
the tall man who to give him credit remembered a very long song monologue excellently but sang with his trousers i suspect wedged a little too high and tightly into his crotch but again he was let down by the amateurish sound setup overpowering his voice.
the quick changes were good but if i had not known what is was about before i went then i would still be none the wiser now.
if you like rap music then maybe for you, but a waste of money for me, for me it was best described as that stuff dogs leave on the floor after stooping down.
what i didn't mention was that it was the roving play that i went to see in hanley stoke on trent.
ReplyDeletei have spoken to others who went the night before and they had the same opinion, speaking too fast, poor sound and wondering why have women dressed as men playing men's parts, it makes no sense!!
a professional sound man would make a big difference but the singing is still too fast and too fuzzy/screechy to understand.