Operation Mincemeat is a hilarious musical-comedy which has taken Broadway and the West End by storm - and next year the show will be kicking off its world tour at the Lowry in Salford.
The Oliver Award-winning and Tony Award-nominated musical is written and composed by British musical comedy troupe SplitLip, who transform the true story of a covert WWII operation into a fanciful tale that’s equal parts laughter-inducing and heartwarming.
A hit among audiences on both sides of the Atlantic, the Broadway production - performed by SplitLip themselves - has been granted its third extension through to February 15, 2026, and its 15th West End extension through to February 28, 2026.
Operation Mincemeat opened at London’s New Diorama Theatre in 2019 and developed a cult following, before finally premiering in the West End in May 2023. It made its Broadway debut in February 2025.
Now the show is set to embark on a world tour, beginning on February 16 at Salford’s Lowry. It’s a homecoming of sorts as the venue first encouraged the writing team to create their debut musical, co-commissioned the production, and supported its early development, including hosting its first-ever scratch performance in 2017.
The tour will travel across the U.K. for 40 weeks, with dates for other territories including Australia, Canada and Mexico to be announced.
Having seen the Broadway production of Operation Mincemeat I know that Salford audiences are in for a real treat. This is a musical that takes you on a thrilling ride with plenty of laughter, and even some tears, along the way.
It centres around the real-life Operation Mincemeat, a plan by British intelligence forces to disguise the Allied invasion of Sicily in 1943 by planting fake documents on a corpse made to look like a drowned British pilot in the hope that the Germans would discover the false information.
The plan was devised by spluttering and slightly hapless Charles Cholmondeley, played by David Cumming, who lacks the confidence to voice his ideas to the Eton-educated military elite. But he's taken under the arm of Ewen Montagu (portrayed by Natasha Hodgson who deploys a gruff accent to capture the essence of a posh Englishman) and the unlikely duo's plans are approached. Suddenly MI5 face the challenges of how on earth they're going to acquire a dead body, give it a false identity and ensure it lands in the hands of the Germans.
Quite frankly it’s so ridiculous that you couldn’t have made it up. So it’s deliciously ironic that among the MI5 team is none other than Ian Fleming - yes that Ian Fleming - which sets up several James Bond references throughout the show very nicely. In another moment of self-awareness, it even acknowledges the 2021 film of the same name.
A cast of just five actors may seem tight but it's this very restriction which gives Operation Mincemeat its playful charm. Each member plays numerous roles, swapping genders and even costumes at times, which all adds to the comedy sketch feel. At one point the cast even broke character, overwhelmed by their own laughter
Yet the show's excellent songs, some featuring Hamilton-style spoken lyrics, emphasise that this is no amateur production. The opening number, Born to Lead, sets up the hierarchy of the British military well, while in act two Das Ubermensch and Spilsbury are wonderfully camp.
But war is no laughing matter and Operation Mincemeat, as much as it pokes fun at real-life events, doesn’t ignore the painful side of history. The emotional rendition of Dear Bill by Jak Malone, who plays matronly secretary Hester Leggatt, touches on the hearts broken by war and doesn’t leave a dry eye in the house.
Just like the real-life events, Opeation Mincemeat is a huge success - definitely see it if you can.
How to get tickets
Operation Mincemeat: A New Musical will be at Lowry from February 16 until February 28, 2026.
Tickets go on sale from June 6 and can be bought at the Operation Mincemeat website here or at Lowry’s website here.
