Original London Cast, 2023 (Sony Masterworks Broadway) (3.5 / 5)  This show was a smash hit in London, winning the Olivier Award for Best New Musical, and its original company of five actors transferred with the production to Broadway in early 2025. These talented performers — David Cumming, Jak Malone, Claire-Marie Hall, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts — bring great intensity and ingenuity to the cast album as they juggle more than 50 different roles. Set during World War II, the preposterous yet historically accurate plot of Operation Mincemeat revolves around the British counter-intelligence department’s attempt to fool the Nazis with fake war plans they stash on a dead body disguised as a British soldier. While the premise and the conceit of the show may sound daunting, this recording is surprisingly enjoyable and easy to follow. The book and score were written by Cumming, Hodgson, Roberts, and Felix Hagan, collectively known as the musical comedy troupe SpitLip; the music is memorable and tuneful throughout, but listeners will have to endure some frequently awkward and ill-rhymed lyrics. Kicking off the album is a high-energy opening number, “Born to Lead,” that introduces listeners to the British MI5 team. Their personnel soon get to work creating a fake identity for the cadaver of a soldier in “Making A Man,” a song that perfectly establishes the largely humorous tone of the piece. But as the improbable (though true) story unfolds, several of the songs also capture the heart and humanity of the characters. Jak Malone, playing secretary Hester Leggatt, delivers the touching “Dear Bill,” in which Leggatt crafts a  love letter for their decoy soldier to carry as a way of making their scheme more believable. Other songs that deserve special attention are Cumming’s solo, “Dead in the Water,” and a sweet duet titled “Useful,” sung by Malone and Hall. Overall, Mincemeat manages to balance a fascinating story with great entertainment, resulting in a very satisfying cast album. —  Forrest Hutchinson