Review: OPERATION MINCEMEAT at Royal Alexandra Theatre

The year is 1943, in the thick of World War II, and Hitler appears to be winning. The Allied Forces are desperate for an upswing and MI5 may have the solution - all they need is a stolen corpse, falsified military plans, a fake love letter, and a history-altering ruse. The true story of Operation Mincemeat and "Major William Martin" started life in the MI5 war room, then the big screen, and now the stage at the Royal Alexandra Theatre in a new fast-paced and gut-busting comedic musical, written by David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts, that will leave you in stitches.

The offices of MI5 are notably tense as members approach the offices of Colonel John Bevan (Mariah Copeland) with new plans on how the war could be turned in their favor. As each idea gets shot down, Charles Cholmondeley (Jake Bentley Young) has an idea that might just work - Operation Mincemeat: plant a dead body carrying military plans as bait in German waters to lure the Germans to Sardinia and away from Sicily, the planned target for the Allied Forces. Unfortunately, Charles lacks the personality to truly sell a plan but luckily there's suave and bold Ewan Montagu (Katie Kleiger) around who's more than happy to pitch the plan and take the credit. The team is further joined by Jean Leslie (Erin Ramirez), a young clerk recruited by Montagu to stand in as the "fiancée" in a photo for their fictitious fallen soldier Major William Martin in order to humanize and make his presence believable. Hester Leggatt (Luke Antony Neville) is a senior secretary at MI5 and assists in developing the back story for Major Martin penning believable letters from "Pam", the fiancée.

Though the cast of Operation Mincemeat may be small, they are certainly mighty. Working fully in unison as directed by Robert Hastie with impeccably timed choreography by Jenny Arnold, the cast's commitment to each role they play in this production is a feat to behold as along with the main roles they each play, each member commits to backing roles and dance numbers. While Kleiger demands clout, credit, and the spotlight as Montagu in all his sparkling bravado, it is Young as Cholmondeley that stands out. Cholmondeley has a unique demeanor about him that makes his character memorable and Young's ability to slip in and out of that role at the drop of a hat makes him mesmerizing to watch. Neville's mannerisms as Leggatt are the first aspects of that character to draw out laughs from the audience - a senior secretary brings about a rigidity to rules and regulations that the audience loves to see break and as Leggatt finds their calling in this new mission, the revelation of their true character comes shines through.

Ben Stones is the mastermind behind making Operation Mincemeat into a visual masterpiece acting a both set and Costume Designer integrating costume elements that are at times drab and austere (befitting of MI5) and then other times sparkly and glitz with a quick change in between. The set serving at first as the cold and meticulous war room lined with telephones and their extra long cords to serve as a unique choreography element, and then later expanding with lights, signs, and a dazzling staircase. 

Operation Mincemeat is a riot, one of funniest productions I've seen to date. This is a rollercoaster of a show that twists, turns, and never slows. It is worth grabbing your friends to experiment together and perfect for history buffs young and old. 

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