‘Project Mincemeat’ – The proof you should never underestimate a crazy idea!
One afternoon, four incredibly creative people came together to discuss the possibility of turning a real-life war story into a musical. It seemed insane, impossible and downright mad. Yet, the four never gave up, and with their efforts – ‘Project Mincemeat the Musical’ was born!
‘ Project Mincemeat’ is the name of an operation that took place during WW2. It was a successful, British deception operation used to disguise the 1943 allied invasion of Sicily. This used the body of a young man named, Glyndwr Michael, to deceive the German spies in Spain by dressing him and giving him the identity of a British pilot named William Martin.
The MI5 crew released Glyndwr’s body to wash up on the coast of Sardinia, along with a briefcase containing falsified secret documents. German spies found out about the body and took hold of the briefcase, leading Hitler to move thousands of German soldiers out of Sicily and towards Sardinia – under the belief that British soldiers would be moving towards Spain!
The entire MI5 operation was a huge turning point in the war and is one of the most incredible stories to emerge from such a bleak period of time.
David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, Felix Hagan and Zoe Roberts somehow managed to turn the intense and scary tale of ‘Project Mincemeat’ into a new musical filled with creative comedy, catchy songs and seamless costume changes! After performing the show for the first time to an 80-seat audience and having their Edinburgh Fringe plans cancelled owing to Covid-19, their continuous efforts and constant work to make ‘Project Mincemeat’ a success deserves its own round of applause. To be able to keep going with an idea after sucg a setback is an achievement in itself!
The show itself contains a small cast of five, who each played a variety of characters! Their ability to transition seamlessly between each character whilst keeping time with music, scene changes and sticking to their blocking was absolutely wonderful to see in action. Holly Sumpton as the confident and clever Ewen Montagu, was the perfect opening to the show with the song ‘Born to Lead’ – setting the scene for an astounding story to unfold. Sumpton’s fierce morale and ability to keep the character’s accent going throughout an entire musical was a stunning display of fiery theatre skill and pure determination to create a spellbinding performance.
We were soon introduced to a handful of wildly hilarious characters! With Sean Carey as the nervous ‘Charles Cholmondeley’ and Jamie-Rose Monk as the brilliant ‘Johnny Bevan’, the cast of five was never falling short on talent! Carey’s performance as Charles was unforgettable, the consistent nervous shaking and hilarious, awkward grins charming the audience. Creating a character that very quickly became a star of the show! Monk’s powerful performance as Johnny Bevan portrayed the character as a perfect, omnipotent leader. Taking charge of the agents and using their incredible vocal and rapping skills to convey their power – she was a delight to see in action!
The constant character and costume changes must have been an extreme challenge for the cast to keep up with, yet they handled each transition with commendable grace and poise. Christian Andrews performance as the solemn ‘Hester Leggatt’ was astounding – ability to put on a pair of glasses and completely transform characters was incredible. Gender bending in theatre can be an extremely difficult skill to master and perform, yet Andrews didn’t fail to deliver, and his solo, ‘Dear Bill’ left the audience weeping in sorrow for the gracious Leggatt. His entire act was wonderful, yet that solo was utter perfection.
To accompany Andrews, Charlotte Hanna-Williams played the young ‘Jean Leslie’, an incredibly ambitious young woman who portrayed the false pilot’s “fiancée” in a photograph to make his identity more believable. William’s fun-loving and exciting attitude on stage brought about a welcomed, stark difference to the seriousness of the male characters, her bouncy energy brilliantly reflecting the youth and eagerness of her character – quickly allowing the audience to understand Leggatt’s hope and dream of achieving a reward or honour for her contributions to the MI5 team. Watching her cheery expressions as she performed was exactly what the audience needed to lift their spirits in the darker moments!
The entire show was perfectly wrapped up with a ‘Glitzy Finale’ and an honourable tribute to Glyndwr Michael. After years of being referred to as “the man who never was”, it was an admirable surprise to hear his story and finally hear his true name. His story deserved to be told as much as anyone’s – and the performers did this brilliantly.
‘Project Mincemeat the Musical’ is an absolute triumph. With eighty-eight 5-star reviews, this show proves itself to be a fantastic victory and solid evidence that no crazy idea should ever be underestimated – even if it means turning an intense WW2 story into a comedic and fabulous musical!
https://leedsheritagetheatres.com/whats-on/operation-mincemeat-2026
Main image: Photograph by Phil Tragen.
