Review: OPERATION MINCEMEAT - The Lowry, Salford (24/02/26)

Triumphant homecoming for SpitLip, as Mincemeat continues to dazzle and delight

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From its earliest run in the 80-seater New Diorama Theatre, the Mincemeat juggernaut has been steadily picking up steam over the past seven years, and for a piece of theatre to go from a studio in Salford and the fringes of the London theatre scene all the way to broadway is nothing short of extraordinary. Having conquered both London and New York, SpitLip (comprising David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts) have now launched their world tour in the theatre where it had its earliest development back in 2017, and it's fair to say that the show has had another considerable glow up.

For those of you new to the world of "Operation Mincemeat", based on the real life World War 2 intelligence operation, just picture the scene: its 1943, the British are losing the war, and have decided to put all their eggs into one basket, in the form of British intelligence. The zany, preposterous, and deeply disturbing plan involves a sealed canister full of dry ice, a cascade of falsified documentation, and involvement from a crew of submariners...oh, and most crucial of all, a dead body to dress up like a soldier. Perhaps most insane of all, it actually worked, and helped open up a route through Sicily, after fooling the German troops into redirecting tens of thousands of troops to Sardinia.

The company of "Operation Mincemeat" (credit: Matt Crockett)

In many ways, the unhinged nature of the plan lends itself brilliantly to this blended Mel Brooks-meets-Monty Python style comedy, such is the degree of innate bizarreness in both its conception and execution, and the unique musical concoction of 1940s swing, traditional sea shanties and Hamilton-esque rap proves a winning combination in hitting the perfect balance in bolstering the uproarious comedy, as well as providing sincere emotional impact where necessary. SpitLip, whether by calculation or sheer gut instinct, have come up with a work of barmy brilliance that one minute has you rolling in the aisles with laughter, the next sobbing into your programme.

One such example of the latter is the unexpectedly poignant "Dear Bill", during which the story takes a pause from the breakneck paced comedic stylings, and shows the usually stoic, emotionally unwavering Hester Leggatt showing us her most vulnerable side, with a letter she composes from memories of the previous world war. Christian Andrews' stellar performance as Hester displays a remarkable equilibrium between being stern and tender, one minute chilling us with her icy exterior, the next melting our hearts through this most moving of ballads.

Though much of this cast are seasoned and experienced in their respective roles, it was the performance of newcomer Jamie-Rose Monk as the dour, intimidating figure of Colonel Johnny Bevan that really impressed. This was only the start of her second week of performances, but it looks like she's been playing the role for years, with equally marvellous, off-the-wall humour as characters like Haselden and Ian Fleming, and even the two-word part of Michael umbrella was executed with full commitment. Monk has shown she has terrific range as an actor, not to mention she can spit rhymes like the very best of them, Lin-Manuel Miranda would be proud.

Holly Sumpton (credit: Matt Crockett)

Also returning to her respective role was Holly Sumpton, another who has been involved with the show since starting in the west end in 2023, and who has made the role of Ewen Montagu fully her own. Sumpton just oozes flair and rogue-like charm, you can't help but get drawn in by her charisma and impish arrogance. Opposite her as Charles Cholmondeley is the ever loveable Seán Carey, who continues to add layers and nuance to this character he first performed after being given mere hours notice to learn it. Completing the lineup is Charlotte Hanna-Williams as our Jean Leslie, whose take on the character has a playful innocence about it, yet she is fiery and gutsy when she wants to be, but always with a sense of quiet yet ever present empathy.

Whilst many touring productions tend to dip in terms of their production value, Mincemeat have the benefit of far more space for upgraded staging, and the biggest glow up this production has had is arguably by means of its visual design, which is most noticeable in the finales to each act, especially as we are in the midst of the epilogue. Monty's film set, designed by Ben Stones, has had no expense spared on it, making for not only extra showbiz pizzazz, but also fresh new comedy material that will take you by surprise, making the "Glitzy finale" even more glitzy than ever. And whilst there were perhaps worries that this tiny yellow show would struggle to fill a larger space, these fears were quickly put to bed, as clearly Mincemeat belongs in whatever theatre will have it., and God it's brilliant!

★★★★★ (5*)

"Operation Mincemeat" runs at the Lowry until the 28th of February (tickets)

{PR/Gifted Tickets}