Tuesday, April 7

Tag: Christian Andrews

Operation Mincemeat – Wolverhampton Grand
West Midlands

Operation Mincemeat – Wolverhampton Grand

“Helsinki!” It seems diversion, deception and misdirection are the mainstay of world politics and a swift scroll through todays newsfeeds uncovers a strew of devices and ploys employed by the most powerful people (mostly men) in the world to distract the same world from uncovering their doings. I think you know who I mean without naming names. So, it’ll come as no surprise people (mostly men) throughout history have been doing the same and in tonight’s case we’re looking at the British deception operation in World War Two intended to disguise the 1943 invasion of Italy. I’m not sure how you disguise an invasion. It surely must be very noisy. Apparently, it involves the body of tramp dressed as a royal marine, loaded with fake ID, fake info, fake uniform and, yes, fake news. This vers...
Operation Mincemeat – The Lowry
North West

Operation Mincemeat – The Lowry

Back in April 2023, my daughter and I were in London’s theatre-land, seeking something cheerful and light after enduring a four-hour production of A Little Life — a play that had left us both in a numbly depressed state. A tiny show had just opened at the Fortune Theatre, just off Covent Garden, and we decided to take a risk on some cheap, last-minute tickets. It turned out to be a very wise decision. The show was Operation Mincemeat and, in the ensuing three years, it has garnered universal audience adoration, five-star reviews galore, continued success in the West End, and a Broadway transfer with resulting Tony and Olivier Awards recognition. The next step in its seemingly inexorable rise is a world tour, which kicks off with a glitzy “yellow carpet” premiere in Salford — cementing i...
Present Laughter – Frinton Summer Theatre
South East

Present Laughter – Frinton Summer Theatre

Life can be impossibly challenging, especially when one is a celebrity. With adoring fans who know no boundaries, and friends and staff who make up their own, life is never dull. Welcome to the chaotic comedic world of Garry Essendine, an actor at the top of his game – who everyone wants a piece of! ‘Present Laughter’ by Noel Coward is a masterpiece in scripts that have stood the test of time. First staged in 1942, this production is as charming as it is action-paced and witty. Set in the week before Garry (Nicholas Murchie) is off on tour in Africa, his world collides into what can only be described as a farcical, very funny mess. The number of people, plots, subterfugical shenanigans and ironic intrigues is genius, but then this is a play celebrating Coward’s sparkling wit. W...