Operation Mincemeat – Review – Bradford Alhambra
By Christine Goode, April 2026
Quick march, everyone! Down to the Bradford Alhambra Theatre we go. It is time for Operation Mincemeat! The title may cause confusion, but this is one of the newest multi-award-winning musicals and it is now on tour and in our neck of the woods. And guess what? It is based on a true story! Miss it and you miss out!
It is 1943. We are at MI5 headquarters, where we meet a select few: Ewen Montagu, Charles Cholmondeley, John Bevan, Jean Leslie and Hester Leggatt. They have been tasked with finding a way to allow Britain’s Allied forces to invade Sicily and liberate it from the Axis powers of Fascist Italy and Nazi Germany. A bizarre plan is conceived, which arranges for a dead body to wash up on the shores of Spain, complete with documents that will confuse the enemy, leaving Sicily for the taking. Now, all they have to do is find a body suitable for the mission and create a fictional but plausible character to help win the war!
“Brilliant timing”
So how can such serious content be taken and made into entertainment? Anyone who hears the storyline would quite rightly think that it is just a caper and, to quote one of the lines from the show, “you couldn’t write this”. However, the combined geniuses of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoe Roberts, aka SpitLip, have taken this historical true story and run with it, making it a successful, award-winning musical. A combination of catchy songs, brilliant timing, wit and tongue-in-cheek humour make this one of the funniest shows I have seen for a long time.
The most notable thing about this production is that the cast of only five play over 80 different characters between them. No wonder there are two alternate casts, as eight shows per week is exhausting.
Particular praise must be given to Christian Andrews as Leggatt, Sean Carey as Cholmondeley, Jamie-Rose Monk as Bevan, Charlotte Hanna-Williams as Leslie and Holly Sumpton as Montagu, in tonight’s performance, who were all superb, as they seamlessly switched between roles before our very eyes. With a variety of accents, as well as gender-swapping roles and quick changes on stage, they make it fascinating to watch. One of my favourite scenes was the telephone and hat-swapping scene. This is hilarious and timed to perfection, leaving a lasting impression as one of the evening’s comedic high points.
“Ingenious”
Although the focus is strongly on comedy, there are still some sentimental and thought-provoking scenes, which the actors portrayed beautifully with genuine emotion.
The set and lighting design by Ben Stones and Mark Henderson is great and of the time, yet with modern, state-of-the-art touches. The use of the props is ingenious, as they transform across the stage, replicating multiple scenes in seconds simply by the actors turning them around, as we are transported on this unbelievable journey.
The show is slick, fast and very funny, and has the packed theatre belly-laughing throughout. It is completely bonkers, with a fabulous finale at the end. The entire audience gives an immediate and well-deserved standing ovation. I am sure many people, myself included, will want to see this again, especially to catch anything they may have missed. It is just brilliant, and to think it is all actually true!
Operation Mincemeat is at Bradford Alhambra until 11 April 2026
images: Matt Crockett
Christine Goode founded her own dance school – The May School of Dance & Theatre Arts over three decades ago. Her dedication to teaching and love of dance, has created many successful artists in the industry, and she is delighted that many of her former students have now returned with their children, allowing them to also discover this beautiful art. She has choreographed, produced and directed shows over the last 36 years, and is devoted to all live theatre and music. Now in her third year of writing about her obsession with the arts, Christine loves to encourage everyone to see as much live theatre as possible.
maydanceschool.co.uk
