Operation Mincemeat: Book Tickets Now

See Operation Mincemeat at the Fortune Theatre on Russell Street in Covent Garden, the musical's West End home since 2023.

Operation Mincemeat

Highlights

See the 2024 Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical, now also a Tony Award-winning musical on Broadway.

Join the show with 113 five-star reviews, making it the best-reviewed show in West End history.

Follow a 1943 gamble on a stolen corpse, as a dead body, a fake love letter and Ian Fleming come together to wrong-foot Hitler.

Enjoy a fast-paced comedy that is described as Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train.

Good to Know About Operation Mincemeat

The show runs about 2 hours 35 minutes: That includes an interval.

Recommended for ages 6 and over: Children under 5 are not admitted, and that includes babies in arms.

Expect loud noises and lighting effects: The production uses flashing lights, smoke and lighting that mimics a strobe.

The auditorium opens 30 minutes before the show: The foyer and box office are at street level.

Five actors play every part: There is no ensemble, so the cast switch between characters at speed.

About Operation Mincemeat

It's 1943, and the Allies need to fool Hitler about where they plan to invade. A small team of British intelligence officers, led by Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley, comes up with a plan that sounds ridiculous: dress a dead body as a made-up officer, fill his pockets with fake secret papers, and let him wash up in Spain for German agents to find. With secretaries Jean Leslie and Hester Leggatt, they build a whole life for a man who never existed, while a young Ian Fleming hovers in the background.

The book, music and lyrics are by the comedy group SpitLip: David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts. Robert Hastie directs and Jenny Arnold choreographs.

Interesting Facts About Operation Mincemeat

The real Operation Mincemeat was a British deception in 1943, designed to convince German commanders that the Allies would land in Greece and Sardinia rather than Sicily.

The body used belonged to Glyndwr Michael, a Welshman, and was passed off as Major William Martin of the Royal Marines. A submarine released it off the coast near Huelva, Spain, in April 1943.

The musical began at the New Diorama Theatre in 2019, which commissioned it with the Lowry, before runs at Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios.

At the 2024 Olivier Awards it received six nominations and won two: Best New Musical, and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Jak Malone as Hester.

The show opened on Broadway at the Golden Theatre on 20 March 2025, with all five original London cast members making their Broadway debuts. Malone went on to win the 2025 Tony Award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical.

It is SpitLip's first musical. Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, two of the writers, also play mostly male characters in it.

The West End production passed 1,000 performances in August 2025.

Operation Mincemeat - Highlights in Pictures

Fortune Theatre

Russell Street, Covent Garden, London, WC2B 5HH, a few minutes' walk from Covent Garden station

Around 430 seats across the Stalls, Dress Circle and Upper Circle, making it one of the West End's smallest theatres

Opened in 1924 on the site of the old Albion Tavern, the first theatre built in London after the First World War

Best known for The Woman in Black, which ran here for 33 years; the theatre is operated by ATG Entertainment

Getting There

By Tube
By Bus
By Car

By Tube

Covent Garden on the Piccadilly line is the closest station, around a 5 to 6-minute walk.

Leicester Square, Holborn and Charing Cross are all within 10 to 15 minutes on foot, and Charing Cross is also the nearest National Rail station.

Fortune Theatre - Facilities and Accessibility

There are no steps from the pavement into the foyer, where the box office is on the right. Beyond that, it's 21 steps down to the Stalls, 7 up to the Dress Circle and 40 up to the Upper Circle, all with handrails. The theatre has no general lift and no cloakroom.

A platform lift at the Crown Court side entrance takes wheelchair users up to the Dress Circle. Wheelchairs must be no more than 93cm long, 74cm wide and 170kg, and the lift can't take scooters or larger electric chairs.
The non-transferring wheelchair space is seat F16 in the Dress Circle, next to the lift exit. Seats F6 and F7 are the easiest to transfer into.
One accessible toilet is on the ground floor in the Dress Circle area, beside the platform lift.
A Sennheiser infrared hearing system covers the whole auditorium. Ask front of house staff for a receiver when you arrive.

FAQs about Operation Mincemeat at Fortune Theatre

What is Operation Mincemeat about?

It's a comedy musical about a real 1943 British intelligence plan to fool the Germans by planting fake invasion papers on a dead body and letting it wash up in Spain.

Is Operation Mincemeat a true story?

Yes. The operation really happened, and the musical's main characters, including Ewen Montagu, Charles Cholmondeley and Hester Leggatt, are based on real people.

How long is Operation Mincemeat?

About 2 hours 35 minutes, including an interval.

What age guidance applies to Operation Mincemeat?

Recommended for ages 6 and over. Under-5s are not admitted, including babies in arms.

Are there content warnings for Operation Mincemeat?

Yes. The show features loud noises, flashing lights, smoke effects and strobe-like lighting.

Who wrote Operation Mincemeat?

The comedy group SpitLip, made up of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, wrote the book, music and lyrics.

Has Operation Mincemeat won any awards?

It won the 2024 Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and Jak Malone won Olivier and Tony Awards for playing Hester.

Is the Fortune Theatre wheelchair accessible?

A platform lift from the Crown Court side entrance reaches the Dress Circle, where seat F16 is the wheelchair space. The lift has size and weight limits, so check with the box office if you're unsure.

Is there hearing assistance at the Fortune Theatre?

Yes. A Sennheiser infrared system covers the auditorium, with receivers available from front of house staff.

Is there a cloakroom at the Fortune Theatre?

No. Large suitcases can't be stored during the show, so use a nearby luggage storage service for big items.

What is the nearest tube station to the Fortune Theatre?

Covent Garden on the Piccadilly line, about a 5 to 6-minute walk.

Is there parking near the Fortune Theatre?

The theatre is inside the Congestion Charge zone and the ULEZ. Q-Park gives ATG customers 15% off pre-booked parking nearby.