What's it like to write an opening number for a Broadway show? According to Natasha Hodgson, the Tony-nominated co-creator and star of Operation Mincemeat: "It's hell, absolute hell."
Adds co-creator Felix Hagan, dryly: "We actually found it very easy to write the opening number, which is why we did it 98 times." It wasn't clear if Hagan was joking or serious, but the team did clarify that the opening of Operation Mincemeat took them six years to write.
SpitLip, the British ensemble who created Operation Mincemeat, stopped by the 半岛体育 office to break down the different elements of the show's opening number鈥攚hich had to inform the audience of the time period (in World War II-era England), set the stakes, and introduce the key players.
Above, see Hagan, Hodgson, David Cumming, and Zo毛 Roberts explain how they cracked the code on "Born to Lead," the new musical's opening number, and the numbers that were left on the cutting room floor. They also give an impromptu performance.
Operation Mincemeat is currently nominated for four Tony Awards, including Best Musical. The musical tells a wacky, stranger-than-fiction story that is somehow a completely true tale, following a World War II scheme in which British Intelligence officials dressed up a corpse as an officer in the Royal Marines in order to fool the German government into believing an Allied attack on Sicily was imminent, covering up their true plans to invade Greece and Sardinia in the process. Spoiler alert鈥攊t actually worked.
Operation Mincemeat premiered in 2019 at the New Diorama Theatre in London, before selling out, switching theatres, and transferring to the West End in 2023. It won the Olivier Award for Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical for Jak Malone.
The cast of Operation Mincemeat includes Jak Malone (who is now Tony-nominated for his performance), David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, Zo毛 Roberts, and Claire-Marie Hall.
The multi-extended Main Stem bow is currently selling tickets through February 16, 2026. It recently announced a world tour.
The show is directed by Robert Hastie, leading a creative team that also includes choreographer Jenny Arnold, music director and supervisor Joe Bunker, orchestrator Steve Sidwell, set and costume designer Ben Stones, lighting designer Mark Henderson, and sound designer Mike Walker. Avalon is producing in association with SpitLip.
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Jak Malone and Zoe虉 Roberts in Operation Mincemeat
Company of Operation Mincemeat
Company of Operation Mincemeat
Company of Operation Mincemeat
Company of Operation Mincemeat
Company of Operation Mincemeat
David Cumming, Natasha Hodgson, and Claire-Marie Hall in Operation Mincemeat
