Can you keep a secret? : A review of Operation Mincemeat
Molly Withers reviews the story of wartime ploys abroad, and the bringing alive of Operation Mincemeat at Victoria Theatre.
On a storm-ridden day in October, I had the pleasure of witnessing Operation Mincemeat, the 2024 Olivier winner. A West End and Broadway play, this story investigates the 1943 English deception ploy against Germany, which has become heralded as a major factor in winning the war. In this visual display of tactical chess, I found myself sinking deeper and deeper into my seat with pure amazement. The lights, the camera, the action, the showbiz of it all had me enraptured until the last curtain. First, one must acknowledge how in this small cast of 5, each performer excellently works the stage, not only becoming actors, but singers, dancers, set movers, and costume changers. With the triple-threat nature of it all, I felt blessed to be a part of a crowd that basked in the glory of those on stage.
The play centres around 5 recurring characters: Ewen (Holly Sumpton), Charles (Seán Carey), Hester (Christian Andrews), Jean (Charlotte Hanna-Williams), and Johnny (Jamie-Rose Monk). Within the confines of wartime, the five must sneakily craft a plot to move the Germans into Sardinia, Greece and the Balkans in hope to alleviate the pressure on a move to Sicily. Based on a genuine wartime plot, just without the sparkles and the songs, this show whilst being a slapstick comedy, renders the truly heart-wrenching nature of wartime. Never have I seen such juxtaposing feelings blend so beautifully together in this humanistic depiction of living during the war.
Within the plot, we uncover the trials and tribulations one must go through to succeed in wartime, as the group hatch a plan to make Major William Martin come to life in a fake flying accident. Armed with fraudulent documents, personal mementoes and accurate gear, they send the body off to the Spanish coast to make him a key part of the deception in the war plot. The brutal honesty of this play is what makes you come back for more. No character is perfect, and no action is either, but the genuineness that is woven through every performance is so raw and excellent.
Whilst I could write pages upon pages of each standout performance, I must shine light on the truly incredible art of Christian Andrews, a chameleon of every role he takes on in the show. Primarily as the role of Hester Leggatt, an MI5 worker responsible for the success of crafting the gut-wrenching letter supposedly sent by William Martin. Andrews sheds light on the empowered nature of women in the war progress. His rendition of ‘Dear Bill’, an elemental song in the show which describes the narration of the letter crafted for the plot, brought me to tears, and rightfully so. As the lights close in on him declaring his love and loss for this figure of war, one genuinely can’t help but get lost in the performance. Whilst this song becomes focused on the fictitious character of ‘Bill’, it is arguably so important in displaying all the loved ones that get left behind during the war. That domestic yearning that gets recognised in the song, with simple things like tending to the roses together being the things that are missed the most. Whilst perfecting this character too, he also embodies a range of other comedic figures such as Willie Watkins, a satirical portrayal of an American fighter pilot dazzling with glitz and glam. So, one must give Christian Andrews his roses, because the respect and passion he puts into his characters is palpable as an audience member, and one truly knows he’s made for this performance.
This play was genuinely brilliant, no notes. The relationship between the props and staging and the actors was incredible, as everyone hit their cue perfectly, no props left unused. The dynamic acting with choreographed chaos, which was emblematic of the ploy, was amazing and had all the audience members embracing laughter. Never have I seen a play which perfected the timing of dramatic lighting and lines so well, with all the story’s emotion being embellished by this amazing scenography. Each actor felt like a pulse in this amazing stories’ beating heart. A heart that kept this showcasing of the intellectual minds of Operation Mincemeat, and those integral to the mission alive. I feel profoundly lucky to have witnessed such a display, and such an amazing commemoration to not only the team behind the wartime plot, but also Glyndwr Michael, the real man behind William Martin.
So, with a final line, I must urge others to go watch. Go out to the theatres and bask in the greatness of this writing and acting, and get your standing ovations ready!
Words by Molly Withers