A Brilliantly Bonkers Wartime Romp - Operation Mincemeat

Bursting with English eccentricity, the plot of Operation Mincemeat comprises all the ingredients of a theatrical farce peppered with a dash of Bond.

Wonderfully wacky, its plausible props span the dead body of fake officer, an engagement ring receipt, a battered suitcase with highly-secret documents - and a ‘Dear Bill’ letter from a fiancée who, while happy to water her betrothed’s roses in his absence, resolutely refuses to talk to them.

Amazingly, this is not fiction, but an unbelievably true story from 1943 with a real-life M15 plot to prevent Hitler from further extending his strong foothold in Europe.

The musical sensation recreating the period’s pivotal events has been rocking the rafters from Broadway to the West End with a supremely talented five-strong cast.

Jamie-Rose Monk is exceptional as John Bevan, a former First World War officer who secured the go ahead from Prime Minister, Winston Churchill for an elaborate deception.

The deceit centred on a plan to convince the Germans that the Allies would invade Greece and Sardinia while, in reality, they planned to enter Sicily. Success hinged on Hitler taking the bait and withdrawing his forces from Sicily.

In another twist - you really could not make this up - the concept of scheme was penned by naval intelligence officer and post-war prolific Bond author, Ian Fleming. His febrile imagination initially detailed over 50 possible ways to trick the Nazis into discovering a corpse carrying false invasion plans in enemy waters.

Orchestrating the nitty-gritty of the final approved plan, Holly Sumpton and Seán Carey totally smash their portrayal of intelligence officers Ewen Montagu and Charles Cholmondeley.

The brains behind sourcing a dead body, the duo creates the fictitious Major William Martin of the Royal Marines along with his fake fiancée and fabricated personal documents including fake plans for the Allies incursion of Sardinia and Greece.

A naval submarine drops the corpse - attached to the briefcase - off the coast of Huelva in Spain. The area is swarming with German spies who will hopefully discover, and pass the documents onto the Fuhrer.

Brimming with gags, satire, and camp witticisms, the prowess of the five key players - whose capacity to play dozens of diverse, cross-gender roles while effortlessly transforming from one to another with breakneck speed and costume changes - is spectacular.

Charlotte Hanna-Williams is delightful as Jean Leslie, a bright, kind and caring MI5 clerk who inveigles herself into the operation by providing a photograph of herself to represent the Major's made up fiancée.

For me, the outstanding performer is Christian Andrews, as Hester Leggatt, an unswervingly loyal senior secretary who collaborates with Jean Leslie to craft the Major's persona.

His delivery of the 'Dear Bill' lyrical letter is a masterpiece, soberly reminding us that behind this make-believe lay tens of thousands of true-life fiancées who would never tie the knot with their intended.

Andrews insanely camp portrayal of Bentley Purchase, portrayed as the larger-than-life physician and shady coroner who provided the dead body for the subterfuge, was my comedic highlight. His raft of fabulous cameos also included a flamboyant filmmaker and a US helicopter pilot.

Biting in its mockery of the elite and their plum-infused accents, the score’s myriad of musical styles reflects the theme’s often cruel nature. My highlights were ‘Born to Lead’, ‘Dead in the Water’, ‘Das Ubermensch’ (absolutely knockout), ‘A Glitzy Finale’ and the poignant and very human, ‘Dear Bill’ .

David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts, of the musical comedy troupe SpitLip, jointly created Operation Mincemeat - a multi award-winner which launched in an 80-seater studio in 2019.

The dazzling finale fittingly celebrates the triumphant outcome of a bizarre and macabre deceit which beggars belief - but whose outcome was instrumental to the Allies success in World War II. Riotous and riveting, it is worth taking the plunge.

Operation Mincemeat plays at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday, June 27. Tickets can be purchased at www.theatreroyal.co.uk or from the Theatre Royal Box Office on 0191 232 7010.

For details of the UK tour of Operation Mincemeat which plays at venues including Hull New Theatre, Grand Theatre Leeds and Victoria Theatre, Halifax, visit UK Tour - Operation Mincemeat.