Review: OPERATION MINCEMEAT, Fortune Theatre
Photo credit: Matt Crockett
“This is insane… It’s borderline psychopathic… But it may just work” says Natasha Hodgson’s portrayal of Ewen Montagu upon discovering the plot of Operation Mincemeat, and perhaps you’ll have exactly the same reaction - but for all the right reasons…
It’s 1943 and we’re on the edge of losing the war but luckily, we open on “the English public-school boys” of MI5 ready to change everything with the help of a stolen corpse. A cast of five guide us through one of the most outlandish pieces of World War Two history you will ever come across on a West End stage, in the form of a hilarious (and sometimes heartbreaking) rollercoaster of genres, outlandish characters, and endlessly inventive musical set pieces.
It’s hard to know where to begin with reviewing this show; even its creators (the four-person team of Spitlip Theatre) are proudly aware of how outrageous their concept is, but it truly does work! The pacing of the show is excellent, and regularly allows time for not just relentless comedy but also moments of genuine heartfelt reflection that provide an emotional heart to the whole affair. The writing talent on display here has the potential to level popularity with the likes of Mischief Theatre (… Goes Wrong)
The songs, now fully orchestrated by Steve Sidwell, are an absolute marvel; one second there’s a swinging jazzy number detailing potential other ideas for fooling the Führer, then half an hour later Jack Malone is stopping the show with ‘Dear Bill’, a heartbreakingly beautiful ballad exploring love in the middle of a war. Then Act Two opens with an outrageous Beyoncé inspired number about - well - we shan’t spoil the surprise! But all the while, the cast (with direction from Robert Hastie) somehow are able to remove any element of whiplash, pulling these different genres together in a satisfying whole.
When it comes to individual performances, each cast member fills their role with utter abandon, throwing themselves into it with everything they have. The disregard of gender in casting also allows for new perspectives on characters both highly comic (in the case of Natasha Hodgson) and at times, in the case of Jack Malone as Hester, quite profound.
The most notable difference in this production to any previous runs has been their budget and production value, of which the creative team (design by Ben Stones and lighting by Mark Henderson) have certainly made the most! It feels as if the full potential of the show has finally been unlocked, with a “Glitzy Finale” big enough to stop any show!
With all this praise being shared for Operation Mincemeat, we think we ought to acknowledge that this show opening on the West End is more than the sum of its parts; it’s a huge win for Fringe Theatre everywhere, proving that the weird shows can make it into the mainstream if they’re just given the chance. The Fortune Theatre is now serving as a bright yellow beacon of hope to any theatre company willing to risk it all on an idea as preposterous as a stolen corpse - you never know, you just might end up winning a war.
***** Five stars
Reviewed by: Callum Wallace
Operation Mincemeat is currently booking at London’s Fortune Theatre until 19 August, with tickets available here.
