Concord Theatricals Acquires Licensing Rights for OPERATION MINCEMEAT

Concord Theatricals has secured from Avalon exclusive worldwide secondary licensing rights to David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts’ six-time Olivier Award nominated West End hit, Operation Mincemeat. A release timeline will be announced at a later date.

David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts said, “To join Concord’s absolutely mind-boggling roster is the honour of our lives. We wanted to write a musical that shows that – no matter what you have at hand, no matter your set, your cast, your limits – you can create an incredible adventure.”

Producer Jon Thoday for Avalon said, “We are delighted Concord has acquired the non-replica rights for Operation Mincemeat and look forward to aspiring theatre makers breathing life into this production around the world in due course.”

“We are immensely proud to be representing the global secondary licensing rights to the West End hit Operation Mincemeat,” said Steven Greenhalgh, Concord Theatricals’ VP of Acquisitions & Artistic Development (Europe). “From small beginnings David, Felix, Natasha and Zoë spent years crafting this very special musical and Concord Theatricals has enjoyed supporting them every step of the way. In collaboration with Avalon, we look forward to encouraging our theatre makers to embrace all the wit, heart and sangria Operation Mincemeat has to offer. Mission accepted. Huzzah!”

The year is 1943 and we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won the Allies World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler?

Operation Mincemeat made its world premiere at New Diorama Theatre in 2019, followed by several runs at Southwark Playhouse in 2020, 2021, and 2022 and an extended run at Riverside Studios in 2022. The production landed at the West End’s Fortune Theatre and began previews on March 29, 2023. The show was named the Best New Musical at the 2024 WhatOnStage Awards and received six Olivier Award nominations including for Best New Musical. 

The West End production is directed by Robert Hastie and choreographed by Jenny Arnold. The cast features SpitLip members David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, along with Claire-Marie Hall, Jak Malone, Seán Carey, Geri Allen, Christian Andrews and Holly Sumpton. Operation Mincemeat is presented in the West End by Avalon (in association with SpitLip), who have supported since the Southwark Playhouse runs. The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co- commissioned by The Lowry, and supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat. In May 2023, Sony Music released the Original Cast Recording, which has been streamed over 2 million times worldwide.

Photo credit: Matt Crockett