“Joy has always been our principle in everything,” says Zoë Roberts, one of the four creators of Operation Mincemeat. “The darker the world gets, people need joy.” This sentiment permeates the musical, which began in the U.K.’s fringe scene before transferring to the West End in 2023 and winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical in 2024. Now making its Broadway debut, the show, directed by Robert Hastie, is based on a real operation from the height of W.W. II. It’s 1943 and the British Allies must convince Hitler that they plan to invade Sardinia instead of Sicily. Their solution? Disguise a corpse as a naval officer and let it wash up on the coast of Spain, fake documents in pocket. Receiving rave reviews—so much so that its biggest fans have earned the nickname “mincefluencers”—the production adeptly navigates a serious situation while poking fun at the egos of the privileged M.I.5. agents involved. Through biting satire and a blend of classic British genres (think Monty Python meets Mrs. Miniver at the BBC Proms) the show shines with both humor and heart. —Jeanne Malle