"Operation Mincemeat" Conquers Broadway, Winning Over Unlikely Audiences and Earning Tony Nominations

The Broadway scene has been infiltrated by an unexpected hit: "Operation Mincemeat," a farcical World War II comedy that tells the outlandish true story of British spies deceiving Nazi Germany using a stolen corpse. This sequin-studded production has resonated with a diverse audience, particularly attracting a demographic not typically associated with musical theatre: dads.

The musical’s unique appeal lies in its blend of historical accuracy and irreverent humor. It attracts both theatre enthusiasts and history buffs, many of whom return with their fathers to experience the show’s unique charm. Natasha Hodgson, a co-creator and star of the musical, expresses delight at the show’s newfound fanbase: "We never set out to make a piece of theater for the dads, but do you know what? We’re really here for it. It’s lovely to have the dads come and see a show, which is essentially about fighting fascism, how gender isn’t real, and how women should claim their history. Bring all the dads!"

"Operation Mincemeat" is the brainchild of Hodgson, David Cumming, Zoë Roberts, and Felix Hagan, who together form the theatre company SpitLip. The production has garnered critical acclaim, earning four Tony Award nominations, including Best Musical. It boasts a dedicated fanbase, affectionately known as "Mincefluencers," who have followed the show’s journey from London to New York.

Hagan reflects on the surreal experience of seeing their work on Broadway: "How does one react when you walk into Times Square and there’s your poster up there? Suddenly you’re afloat in an ocean, as opposed to standing in a puddle. It’s really quite astonishing."

The musical is based on a daring 1943 operation orchestrated by British intelligence to mislead the Germans about the Allied invasion plans. The elaborate scheme centered around an unclaimed body from a London morgue, which was transformed into a fictitious British officer named William Martin, complete with forged documents. The corpse was then strategically placed off the Spanish coast, where the briefcase containing the false information was recovered by the Nazis. Unbeknownst to them, the Germans were delivering fabricated orders directly to Adolf Hitler.

As a result, the Allied forces caught the Germans off guard during the invasion of Sicily, contributing to the downfall of Benito Mussolini and marking a significant turning point in World War II.

Hodgson first encountered the story of Operation Mincemeat through a podcast recommended by her brother. Initially skeptical, she quickly became captivated by the story’s captivating characters and thrilling, heist-like plot: "Initially, I was like, ‘There’s enough art about World War II and I’m crushingly bored of it.’" But she was quickly enraptured by the story’s vibrant characters and heist-like adventure: “I fell in love with it completely. It’s global stakes, but with this gang of little idiots.”

The show’s fast-paced and energetic style originated in a small, 80-seat black-box theatre in London in 2019. Early audiences had mixed reactions, with some finding the musical too far-fetched and even disrespectful.

Cumming recounts: "We got feedback saying, ‘You cannot lie about the war like this,’ when in actuality, it was all 100% true." He points out the surprising real-life details that are often stranger than fiction: "For instance, there was a war magician who worked in the same department as these guys and created inflatable tanks to deceive the Germans. There was also a night-blind racecar driver who drove the body up to Scotland and crashed numerous times because he couldn’t see. We tried to put these things into the story, but there’s a limit to what audiences will believe. The truth is far more wild than you’re allowed to put on stage."

Hagan jokingly suggests the possibility of a director’s cut with even more absurd details: "If we put in everything that we thought was funny, it’d be three days long. We should do a director’s cut."

The show includes depictions of well-known figures, such as James Bond author Ian Fleming, who worked for Britain’s Naval Intelligence Division during World War II and contributed to the brainstorming of Operation Mincemeat. The Nazis are portrayed in a satirical manner, featuring a K-pop-style dance number that explores the allure of the far-right movement.

Cumming explains the rationale behind the song’s modern sound: "Sonically, that’s why that song is so modern, because fascism was the new ideology at the time. It’s popular! It’s sexy! It’s cool! Then you catch yourself applauding and you’re like, ‘Did you turn your brain on for one second through any of that? Or did you just go along with it because it was exciting?’"

While the K-pop number has been met with laughter in the U.K., it often evokes a stunned silence on Broadway, perhaps due to its resonance with current American political discourse.

Roberts observes: "The discomfort here is quite palpable. I’ve had a couple people at the stage door say to me (proudly), ‘I didn’t clap after that number!’ And I’m like, ‘Well, thank you? We’re all going to be OK, aren’t we?’"

Beyond the comedic elements, "Operation Mincemeat" also highlights the contributions of MI5’s unsung female employees, Jean Leslie (played by Claire Marie-Hall) and Hester Leggatt (played by Jak Malone). Their photographs and love letters were crucial in crafting a believable backstory for the fictitious William Martin.

The musical subtly pays tribute to William Martin himself, who in reality was a homeless man named Glyndwr Michael, who died after ingesting rat poison. Michael’s body was buried with full military honors in 1943 under his fake identity, and in 1998, the British government officially acknowledged his true identity on his tombstone.

Throughout the show, the British spies grapple with the question of who Glyndwr Michael truly was. While the answer is not initially prioritized, the play ends with the revelation of details about his life.

Roberts explains that this is a moment "to pay respects to this person that had been invisible in society; that had fallen through the cracks and been forgotten about. It gives us a huge moment of catharsis." By the finale, "we drop all the artifice and say, ‘Everybody is important.’ That being the lasting message of the show is something that we’re really proud of.”

"Operation Mincemeat" is currently playing at the Golden Theatre (252 W. 45th Street), offering a unique and thought-provoking theatrical experience that blends comedy, history, and a poignant message about the importance of every individual.