Tony Award® and Olivier Award®-Winning Operation Mincemeat Coming to Milton Keynes Theatre

Following its seventeenth West End extension and fifth extension on Broadway, the Tony Award® and double Olivier Award®-winning musical Operation Mincemeat is heading to Milton Keynes Theatre as part of a major UK tour.

Opening at The Lowry in Salford on 16th February 2026 — the venue that first championed the show and hosted its debut scratch performance in 2017 — the production will embark on a 40-week nationwide tour through to 28th November 2026, stopping at Milton Keynes Theatre from Mon 8 – Sat 13 Jun.

Reprising their acclaimed performances are West End stars Christian Andrews (Sherlock Holmes and the 12 Days of Christmas), Seán Carey (The Play That Goes Wrong), Charlotte Hanna-Williams (Rodgers & Hammerstein’s Cinderella) and Holly Sumpton (Lovers Actually). Joining the cast as new recruit Jamie-Rose Monk (Romeo & Juliet), alongside Katy Ellis (The Curious Case of Benjamin Button), Georgina Hagen (Only Fools & Horses), Jordan Pearson (Back to the Future: The Musical) and Morgan Phillips (The History Boys), completes the company.

SpitLip, the musical’s writers and composers, commented: “We're so excited to see Operation Mincemeat heading out on a world tour next year, and the fact that it's all kicking off at The Lowry, Salford - a venue who have fiercely championed us as theatre makers for over a decade, and where some of us made our professional debuts -is incredibly special. Having launched our show on Broadway this year, we know there's an appetite (and a need) out there for shows which champion joy, and the power of small groups of people to change the world. We're also delighted to be welcoming back our agents Christian, Charlotte, Holly and Seán, and welcoming our amazing new recruit Jamie-Rose, to kick off the UK leg of the tour - MI5 couldn't be in more capable or more spectacularly stupid hands. Father's never been prouder!”

Currently running simultaneously in London and New York, Operation Mincemeat continues to break records. The West End production at the Fortune Theatre has now been extended through to 27th September 2026, while the Broadway production will run through to 26th April 2026 following its fifth extension.

What began as a small-scale production at London’s New Diorama Theatre in 2019 quickly developed a devoted fanbase, leading to sold-out runs at Southwark Playhouse and Riverside Studios before transferring to the West End in May 2023. Since then, the musical has collected an impressive list of accolades, including Olivier and WhatsOnStage Awards® for Best New Musical, alongside 88 five-star reviews and counting, earning it the title of the ‘Best reviewed show in West End history’.

Inspired by an extraordinary true story, Operation Mincemeat transports audiences to 1943, where the Allied Forces are struggling to turn the tide of WWII. Their solution? An audacious undercover operation involving a stolen corpse, fake documents and an outrageous plan that would go on to change the course of history. Blending comedy, espionage and musical theatre, the production has become renowned for its fast-paced storytelling and sharp humour.

The production is directed by Olivier Award nominee Robert Hastie (Standing at the Sky’s Edge), with choreography by Olivier Award nominee Jenny Arnold (Jerry Springer: The Opera). The creative team also includes Set and Costume Designer Ben Stones, Lighting Designer Mark Henderson and Sound Designer Mike Walker, alongside Grammy Award-winning Orchestrator and Vocal Arranger Steve Sidwell.

Written and composed by SpitLip — David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson and Zoë Roberts — the production has received 67 award nominations and won 25 awards since its premiere, including Best Musical honours at the Olivier Awards®, WhatsOnStage Awards®, BroadwayWorld Theater Fans’ Choice Awards® and Off West End Awards®.

On Broadway, original cast member Jak Malone won the 2025 Tony Award® for Best Featured Actor in a Musical, having already received the Olivier Award® for the same role in 2024. Meanwhile, SpitLip earned nominations for Best Original Score and Best Book of a Musical across the Tony Awards®, Drama Desk Awards® and Outer Critics Circle Awards®.

Operation Mincemeat is produced by Avalon in association with SpitLip. The production was commissioned by New Diorama Theatre, co-commissioned by The Lowry, and supported by the Rhinebeck Writers Retreat.