When Truth Really Is Stranger Than Fiction: ‘Operation Mincemeat’

The cast of "Operation Mincemeat." Julieta Cervantes

NEW YORK—Desperate times call for desperate measures, as shown in the musical comedy “Operation Mincemeat.” It relates a tale both completely unbelievable and actually true. Originally seen in England, where it continues to run, the show is now at Broadway’s Imperial Theatre, complete with the original cast.

It’s 1943 and World War II is raging. With the Nazis controlling most of Europe, Allied forces have determined that to retake the continent, their first point of attack must be an invasion of Sicily. Standing in their way are 90,000 German troops. It falls to the British counter-intelligence group, M15, to convince the German High Command that the invasion will occur elsewhere, so they will move their troops accordingly.

The Plan

Charles Cholmondeley (David Cumming), a quiet, painfully shy man, has worked almost unnoticed alongside his colleagues for over six years. But he’s got a plan. He suggests they take the body of a recently deceased man, freeze it to prevent decay, and transport it by submarine to the coast of Spain. There, it will be discovered by German agents who will find documents on the body indicating a false location for the planned Allied invasion.