One night in London: Cabaret, Guys and Dolls, or Operation Mincemeat?

I'm really torn between these three. Guys and Dolls is the only one out of the three that has a matinee the day I'll be there which would probably be best for me schedule-wise since I have to leave at 5 the next morning to catch a flight. Everything about the production sounds amazing but I just really don't care much for the show itself. On the other hand, Cabaret is one of my all-time favorites but I've also seen it many times. Jake Shears will be in it when I go and I used to LOVE the Scissor Sisters, so that would be a cool perk. Unfortunately it's also easily the most expensive of the three. And then Operation Mincemeat would also be really cool since I know almost nothing about it besides that everyone loves it and it's the only brand new musical I'm considering. Anyone here seen all three and have thoughts? Should I just try to preserve the little sleep I'll be getting and go for Guys and Dolls?

Updated On: 8/16/23 at 10:41 AM

That's a tough choice! I saw all three. If you wanna have a good time, Guys & Dolls is probably the hottest ticket in London right now. For Operation Mincemeat, that is a freaking hilarious show! I have to disagree with quizking, I think that show will have life outside London. It's selling out like crazy now and is likely gonna win big during awards season. I could see it on Broadway in the near future. I even spoke with the creatives when I saw it and they said they hope to bring it to New York in the future! Cabaret is coming to NYC, so if you would rather wait for that, then you could see both in one day!

Don't count Mincemeat out on crossing the pond. As I said, if it does well during awards season in London, they could bring it over to Broadway for a limited run. The hype for that show is real, and it deserves a life outside London! Probably the funniest show I ever saw over there! There were a bunch of Americans in the audience the night I saw it, and they all agreed that it needs to come to NYC. There have been VERY BRITISH musicals that came to NYC before and had major success.

I haven't seen Guys and Dolls. But, Mincemeat is a blast and that theatre is very intimate. But, pricing is day dependent and they are holding back center stalls seats for people on a mailing list for some period of time before the show. So, getting a "good" seat could be tricky - we had fourth row a little stage right of center, but we got our tickets maybe two months in advance -

Even if Cabaret transfers, it won't be the same. First, ticket prices will be through the roof. While expensive for London, US prices could be double. Also, the remade Playhouse Theatre will be difficult to duplicate. There will be some effort, but it won't be the same. We had a table seat, so the show was intimate in and in our face - and so so so impactful.

As much as I loved Mincemeat - I would probably go for Cabaret - with one caveat - I don't know how the new cast will be when you will be there. We saw the second cast - Fra Fee and Amy Lennox.

Updated On: 8/22/23 at 01:31 PM

Hate to confuse the matter, but there's a new must-see in town, at least for the next six weeks, and it's the new production of "La Cage aux Folles" at the Open Air Theatre in Regent's Park. Have seen and loved the current London "Cabaret" and "Guys and Dolls" numerous times, and "Operation Mincemeat" is supremely clever. But as long as the weather holds up on the night you go, this "La Cage" is simply glorious and leaves you with tears of joy.

altonido - I'll be there in late October so unfortunately that's not an option (neither is Next to Normal for that matter). And I definitely agree that Cabaret might be worth seeing even though it is transferring - I don't go to New York that often and when I do I almost never get to see the hot ticket options, so this might be my only chance.

Thank you everyone for your help but I'm definitely still conflicted! Although now I'm maybe leaning slightly towards Cabaret - it also starts at 7:30 that night versus Operation Mincemeat's 8 so I would hope it might get out a little earlier too.

Opinion from a totally unbiased Brit. Check out the rave reviews for Mincemeat in Variety, New Yorker and New York Times. (And also - my daughter wrote it.)

I actually thought Maude was great. I’d heard mixed things about her in “Little Shop” so I didn’t know what to expect but was extremely impressed with her take on the role.

Ensemble1692243458 said: "Opinion from a totally unbiased Brit. Check out the rave reviews for Mincemeat in Variety, New Yorker and New York Times. (And also - my daughter wrote it.)"

Haha that's nice I hope your daughter is ok with being a proud parent! You probably would know better than us - but to me these US reviews clearly signal the production COULD have some life outside the UK, would you agree?

SisterGeorge said: "By the time I get to London, Guys and Dolls will have been running for nine months. Any guesses on how well it will retain its sizzle? And it would be a miracle if the original cast was still intact. For anyone who's seen any of the replacements, how well are the producers doing finding performers who can compete with the originals, none of whom I know, but who have all received phenomenal reviews and word of mouth?"

I think the whole cast is contracted through the scheduled conclusion of the run in February. Daniel Mays (Nathan Detroit) left last month due to a filming project but is scheduled to return in mid-October. As for ticketing, this show is selling-out like crazy. The hype for this show will be buzzing until it closes next year. Get a ticket if you can! I just hope there is an exception made regarding the Oliviers. Sadly, the theatre it’s at isn’t a Society of London Theatre venue. This show overall, deserves all of the awards it can get nominated for!

Just throwing this out there ... it's not a show in the sense of Cabaret, Guys and Dolls or Operation Mincemeat but you might consider the ABBA VOYAGE CONCERT. It's an amazing evening unlike anything you've every seen before and you can only see it in London. There is talk of building replica arenas in other select markets around the globe but that will be a MINIMUM wait of at least 2 years from now. I saw it this past March while I was in London for a week and enjoyed it so much I turned around and bought another ticket for the night before returning home. All of the shows previously discussed here will most likely, or already have been announced to transfer to the US and then possibly even tour. London is your only chance to experience ABBA VOYAGE at this time and for the foreseeable future. Check out some of the numerous Youtube videos posted by people giving their reactions to the show. Most talk of booking a return visit and bringing other family and friends with them. It's certainly worth seriously considering.

ABBA VOYAGE Audience Reactions

two ladies tickets said: "Unless you are a massive ABBA fan, I would skip Voyage. I love ABBA, but I found this production to be a letdown. I obviously knew that they were going to be holograms and the sound was phenomenal but at the end of the day I didn't think it was worth it. And on a technicality: Abba Voyage is in Stratford not London and yes, Stratford is very close to London, and very easy to get to on public transportation but The OP was specifically talking about London."

Everyone is entitled to their opinion and I respect yours but I disagree that someone has to be a massive ABBA fan to enjoy the show as evidenced by countless comments by those who have seen the show. And the location of the arena certainly shouldn't be a deterrent to considering taking in the show because as you stated it is very easy to access via public transportation. We stayed in the Russell Square area and it was probably no more than a 20 minute journey via the tube and the DLR. Pudding Mill Lane Station is right across the street from the arena ... it couldn't be any easier.

Updated On: 8/20/23 at 05:09 PM