OPERATION MINCEMEAT Extends London Run

Ahead of Operation Mincemeat's Broadway opening night at the John Golden Theatre on 20th March, the 2024 Best New Musical Olivier Award-winning show has announced its biggest West End extension to date. Following the 12th extension, the production is moving straight to the 14th (for obvious reasons, keeping its good fortune alive), with a further 24 weeks at the Fortune Theatre, entering its third sold-out year in London and running through to 15th November 2025.

Operation Mincemeat is currently running simultaneously in both New York and London. It's first sold-out Broadway preview on 15th February saw the original cast take their inaugural bows to a 5-minute standing ovation. Immediately following the curtain call, they were greeted by a band of loyal fans - dubbed the 'Mincefluencers', 300 of whom had flown to New York from London. The show has begun performances under an unlit marquee, an unheard-of occurrence in modern times, due to President Trump's latest tariff policies delaying a shipment of light bulbs from China. Due to popular demand, it's Broadway run originally scheduled for 16 weeks only, has also recently been extended by 4 weeks through 13th July.

West End Extension tickets are available on General sale on Friday 21st March at 10am from the Official Box Office and tickets via the ballot are available on Thursday 20th March at 2pm. 

Following the success of the Monday ballot, it has now expanded to include Tuesday and Saturday shows to ensure tickets get into the right hands. Monday ticket prices remain frozen at £39.50, and the popular fortnightly £25 ticket lottery continues here. The first ballot draw for the new booking period from 7th June to 15th November will take place on Thursday 20th March at 2pm. 

Operation Mincemeat began as a tiny (and tiny-budgeted) production at the London Fringe New Diorama Theatre in 2019. The show quickly gained a devoted following, spurring sold-out runs at venues including Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios. It finally premiered in the West End on 9th May 2023 at the Fortune Theatre, where it won the Olivier and WhatsOnstage Awards for 'Best New Musical', alongside garnering 74 five-star reviews and counting, and has become the 'Best reviewed show in West End history.'

The decision to write the musical was the last roll of the dice from a quartet of young British creatives after years of performing sketch shows at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and echoes the journey of Beyond the Fringe from the world-famous quartet Alan Bennett, Peter Cook, Jonathan Miller, and Dudley Moore, which premiered at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 1960, before moving to the Fortune Theatre and later to the Golden in 1962.

In the West End, Holly Sumpton, Seán Carey, Chlöe Hart, Christian Andrews, George Jennings, Jonty Peach and Geri Allen are joined by new members Charlotte Hanna-Williams and Maddie Jackson-Smith to form the Company.

The year is 1943 and we're losing the war. Luckily, we're about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse.

Singin' in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Noel Coward meets Noel Fielding, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II. The question is, how did a well-dressed corpse wrong-foot Hitler?

The production is directed by 2023 Olivier Award nominated Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky's Edge, National Theatre - 2023 Best New Musical Olivier Award winner), following providing directorial support for the Riverside Studios run, while Olivier Award nominated Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) continues as Choreographer. Also from Standing at the Sky's Edge at The National Theatre on the creative team are: 2023 Olivier Award nominated Ben Stones (Sylvia, The Old Vic) as Set and Costume Designer, Tony Award, six-time Olivier Award and Bafta Award winning Mark Henderson (Girl From the North Country, Broadway & Noël Coward Theatre) as Lighting Designer and Olivier Award winning Mike Walker (Jerry Springer: The Opera, National Theatre) as Sound Designer. Grammy Award winning and Tony, Emmy & 2024 'Outstanding Musical Contribution' Olivier Award nominated Steve Sidwell (Beautiful: The Musical, Broadway & Aldwych Theatre) is Orchestrator and Vocal Arranger, while 2024 'Outstanding Musical Contribution' Olivier Award nominated Joe Bunker is Musical Director. Georgie Staight is Associate Director and Paul Isaiah Isles is Associate Choreographer. Casting is by Pearson Casting. The extraordinary debut musical is written and composed by SpitLip - David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts.

Operation Mincemeat won the 2024 'Best New Musical' and 'Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical' Olivier Awards, following receiving six nominations. These awards trail winning the 2024 'Best New Musical' WhatsOnStage Award and the 'Best West End Show', 'Rising Star' and 'Best Understudy' West End Wilma Awards. Previously on the show's journey, Operation Mincemeat has picked up the Off-West End award for 'Best Musical Production' and 'Best Company Ensemble' and The Stage Debut Award for 'Best Composer/Lyricist'.

Operation Mincemeat is produced in the West End and Broadway by Avalon (in association with SpitLip). The show was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and also supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.