DIVA sat down with the star of the West End’s exciting show to find out more about the power of queer and plus-size representation
BY ELLA GAUCI, IMAGES BY MATT CROCKETT
Entering the Operation Mincemeat stage in a dapper suit and bow tie, Chlöe Hart is first introduced to the audience as Ian Fleming – the man behind James Bond. Suddenly, as if in a flash, she transforms into British Army Officer Johnny Bevan. As the show progresses, we stare in disbelief as Chlöe shapeshifts for the entire two-hour show.
Since 2019, Operation Mincemeat has been wowing audiences with its dazzling dances and toe-tapping tunes. Based on a World War Two British military deception operation – called Operation Mincemeat – the show has received six Laurence Olivier Award nominations, winning two for Best New Musical and Best Actor in a Supporting Role in a Musical. In 2025, it’s set to go to even more dizzying heights when it extends its run to Broadway.
When Chlöe Hart first saw a video of one of the songs from Operation Mincemeat, she knew immediately that she needed to land this gig. She was utterly hooked. When she did get cast in the role of Johnny Bevan & Others, it felt like her manifestation had paid off.
So how does Chlöe manage to change character quite so frequently throughout the night? “I love it because it’s challenging,” she gushes. “I’ve done a lot of long contracts with shows and I do have a tendency to get itchy feet. I often feel like I need something else to keep my brain busy. I don’t have the chance to do that with this!”
With so many moving parts, Chlöe admits that the show doesn’t always go to plan. Aeroplanes, folders, and more have made their way into the front row from excitable movements by cast members. Don’t worry, Chlöe assures me that no one was harmed.
What the show has truly excelled in – other than narrowly missing audience members with flying props – is mastering the art of gender-blind casting. “What I love about it is how quickly the audience invests in that idea,” Chlöe explains. “It’s really liberating. I’m a working-class actress, and playing a posh man for me is even better. It’s such a juxtaposition from me.”
Johnny Bevan is the first androgynous role that Chlöe has played on stage. As a “late in life” lesbian, it’s the first time she’s not playing a super feminine role.
“As a lesbian and as a plus-size woman, I love that I am not shying away,” Chlöe says. “We are not shying away. We are going out on stage where people are watching us. There are so many places in the world where gay women and plus-size women have to hide themselves. You’ve all paid to watch me and I get to be exactly who I am.”
Operation Mincemeat is currently at the Fortune Theatre in the West End until 19 April 2025, for tickets visit the official box office at www.operationmincemeat.com.
Tickets for Operation Mincemeat’s New Year’s Eve show, The New Year’s Eve That Never Was, also on sale now at www.operationmincemeat.com.
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