Listen: Live Version of 'Dear Bill' From OPERATION MINCEMEAT
The release is in celebration of the Olivier Award-winning Best Musical’s four Tony Award nominations.
By: Stephi Wild May. 20, 2025
Operation Mincemeat has released a special live recording of the track “Dear Bill." Captured live at London’s Fortune Theatre, the release is in celebration of the Olivier Award-winning Best Musical’s four Tony Award nominations. Jak Malone delivers the powerful ballad as MI5 secretary Hester Leggatt. Listen below!
Inspired by a real letter written by Leggatt in WWII, “Dear Bill” tells the story of a heartfelt message to a fictional lover—placed on a corpse as part of a top-secret British intelligence ruse. While the mission has long been credited to agents Ewen Montagu (played by Natasha Hodgson) and Charles Cholmondeley (played by David Cumming), the musical shines a spotlight on Leggatt’s previously unsung role. Since the show’s debut, fans have unearthed Leggatt’s true identity—officially recognised by MI5 in 2023. This rediscovery culminated in the unveiling of a commemorative plaque at the Fortune Theatre, attended by over 1,000 fans. To mark the occasion, Sony originally released the “Dear Bill” live recording as a limited-edition 7-inch vinyl on International Women’s Day last year, which sold out instantly.
Since then, “Dear Bill” has become one of the most talked-about moments of the Broadway season and became the fastest-growing, most-streamed track on the cast album over the past month. Produced, arranged, orchestrated, and with musical direction by Grammy Award® winner Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Carole King Musical), the song is written and composed by SpitLip —Cumming, Felix Hagan, Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts.
This release follows Malone’s performance of the track on NBC’s The Kelly Clarkson Show last week.
Tony Award nominee Malone commented: “Performing ‘Dear Bill’ has been one of the most emotional and rewarding parts of my career. This version is my favourite recording we’ve done because the audience is right there with me. For me, this is definitive, and we’re overjoyed it’s now available for everyone to hear.”
SpitLip added: “We poured our own little sadnesses, our grief, love and hope into this song hoping to transform it all into something that could lift other people up. To watch Jak perform it every night and to see the catharsis it brings is a miracle to us. We’re so proud of it, of him, and of this very special recording.”
Operation Mincemeat is produced on Broadway and in the West End by Avalon (in association with SpitLip). The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.
