OPERATION MINCEMEAT Reviews — Page 12

Sounds like the cast and, particular Jak Malone, did a traditional UK muckup final performance in the matinee. Looking forward to reading about the hijinks.

Crazy that come Tuesday it will be the first time the show is performed by an entirely American cast ever!

Full concert recording here, including the section that cut out during the livestream!

https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=QcXYpbRg-YY

Updated On: 2/23/26 at 12:32 PM

I originally had a ticket to the Friday evening performance before I found out that Jak was going to be out that night. This all happened around the same time a friend was selling a ticket for the Sunday evening show. I sold my original ticket on Theatr and bought the ticket for Sunday evening and changed my plans around to make Sunday work.

I woke up on Sunday too late to make the matinee and found out about the evening being cancelled. I fully understand why they cancelled and they were right to do so, but it was definitely disappointing.

I know there's a lot of people who are upset with the producers being greedy and rightfully so given how they jacked up prices and added the evening in the first place, but it definitely sucked being on the losing end of the stick.

I had friends at the matinee, so I ended up meeting them at the stage door and was able to get my poster signed by Jak, David, and Zoe who were missing from it when I bought it at Flea Market. All of them came out and signed and did their best with the very excited crowd.

I missed the original livestream due to traveling back home during it, but I plan to watch it at some point. It's so nice of them to do something for the fans who missed out on seeing the show yesterday.

I am so grateful that between the two times I saw the show collectively I saw all of the British agents, but it would have been so great to see them all together. I'm excited to see the new American recruits at some point in the next few weeks.

Updated On: 2/23/26 at 06:09 PM

Jumpin_J said: "I scored tickets for tonight's "mission" of the all new cast. Super excited!"

How were our new dependable dreamboats, Jumpin_J?

TL;DR - show remains good, but let the new meat cook a little longer

I went last night fully acknowledging that this was not going to be the Mincemeat to which I’ve become accustomed. The bones are still there, but they have become a bit disjointed with the growing pains of a new cast. It really did make me take for granted how airtight the original ensemble was in performance.

Now, this is not to say that the new cast is terrible by any stretch (though I have some notes for the men), but I definitely think they needed a little more time together in the rehearsal room to tighten their synchronicity. There were quite a few pockets of dead air which, although brief, impacts how the jokes land.

Regarding the cast: Jessi Kirtley and Amanda Jill Robinson are squarely in their bag with their roles, especially Amanda - who has grown a lot over the last year and I would put her on par with Zoe for finding the right balance of straight man and madcap goof. Julia Knitel was a fantastic choice to replace Natasha. She has the accent and comportment pretty much down pat and has that necessary BDE that Natasha and Gerianne bring to the role. As a taller woman, she is also more of an intimidating presence when she needs to be.

The Men…a somewhat different story. Brandon attests that he’s still finding his rhythm with the new group, and that’s clear. His Charles is a bit more mopey and lower energy which, when succeeding David Cumming’s absolutely manic and panicky performance, causes many moments to fall flat. I know he has the ability to camp it up, and so I hope he can bring a bit more vigor to the table.


Jeff as Hester…needs work. His side characters (especially Spilsbury) are very good and could only get better. However, Hester is the heart of the show and it felt absent here. There was a distinct lack of that matronly, yet feminine energy, as well as a lack of stoicism (Hester broke into little smirks more often than she should IMO). Oddly enough, the only time I saw Hester come through was on “Dear Bill”. Being up close, I could see Jeff’s facial control throughout the song and it was only then that I was truly able to see his Hester for the first time. I really need him to harness the range of emotions he put into “Dear Bill” and apply it writ large across his performance.

I’m sure they will eventually cohere into a tight performing unit, but I would advise giving them a few weeks to find their rhythm and tighten up before going to see them.

Another extension! Now through January 2027!!!

Also, the $79 ticket draw code just dropped for the next 24 hours for performances through March 29th.

LASERCIGAR

Kad said: "Another extension is being announced- its ninth- up through Feb 14."

Which takes it right to its second anniversary and likely when the cast will switch up again, should it continue beyond.

I think it may actually be on the path to eventual recoupment. At last glance, the capitalization was roughly $12M, with a weekly cost between $500-550K per week.