Operation Mincemeat – New Diorama Theatre

Operation Mincemeat continues at the New Diorama Theatre, London until 15 June 2019.

Star rating: three stars ★ ★ ★ ✩ ✩ 

A musical about a corpse dressed up by MI6 to fool the Nazi high command is not something you come across every day. It’s even more astonishing that this is a historically accurate tale.

In the realms of the surreal lies Operation Mincemeat the musical, an interesting first venture by the members of Fringe royalty Kill the Beast, Zoe Roberts, David Cumming and Natasha Hodgson and glam-punk composer Felix Hagan (now collectively spitlip), but does the task of creating a full musical trip up the seasoned professionals?

Both yes and no. This show is inconstantly both brilliant and off-key (in all senses of the word). The piece is based on the Second World War mission to redirect the German forces out of Scilly (in preparation for the allied invasion of Italy) with a dead corpse carrying British military secrets washed up on the coast of Spain. The story is the mother of double bluffs and although the show nicely tires to critique the sexist, elitist ideas prevalent at the time, it has moments that shine and moments that flicker.

Let’s start with the good. The piece is very funny. With a range of actors who understand the comedy of melodrama, an at points snappy script and some good songs, the show never fails to amuse, which for a comedy is pretty important. This is crafted by some members of the cast that are both musically as well as comedically talented.

Hodgson’s Ewen Montagu has all the bravado and obnoxious confidence of the British private school system and her voice is a joy to listen too. Similarly, Cumming’s performance as jittering nervous oddball Charles Cholmondeley is comic gold.

In respect of multiple roles, the prize must go to Jak Malone who not only manages to bring almost everyone to tears in a song by the dowdy secretary Hester, but morphs into a sea captain, reporter and a Nazi in split seconds and with chameleonic skill. This holy trinity are the shining ones, dealing with the potholes of the script and doing their best with some of the less exciting songs.

Now for the less so good. Firstly, the set by Helen Coyston is really not versatile enough to sustain a full musical, although the clever approach to costume (with performers playing several roles) must be commended.

Furthermore, the other two performers rather let the side down. Rory Furey-King, although hilarious, doesn’t quite pull off the two solos she has, although the songs are partly to blame.

Zoe Roberts, although involved in the creation of the show, is comically effective but rather blends into the background.

Lastly, the writing is problematic, sometimes playful, political and searing, sometimes clunky and confusing. A musical about the military machine within the Second World War is always going to be a hard fish to fry, and a comedy? Now that’s a brave choice, and although most of it works, a section featuring Nazis dancing to hip-hop does come off as a tad tasteless. This is a bold move but it doesn’t entirely work.

The show is undoubtedly funny but rather messy. The creators’ ambition must be commended though and I look forward to their next work with excitement and trepidation in equal measure.

Gabriel Wilding