Orchard Theatre, Dartford
Running time: 2hrs 35mins
Age Restrictions: This production is recommended for ages 5+.
Tickets from £44.00
*Operation Mincemeat* is the Olivier Award-winning Best New Musical and Broadway’s newest hit. With 161 five-star reviews* and a Tony Award® to boot, the best-reviewed show in West End history has extended the UK leg of its World Tour!
Here’s the briefing: The year is 1943, and right now we’re losing the war. Luckily, we’re about to gamble all our futures on a stolen corpse. Singin’ in the Rain meets Strangers on a Train, Operation Mincemeat is the fast-paced, hilarious and unbelievable true story of the twisted secret mission that won us World War II.
Bursting at the seams with the kind of chaos you couldn’t invent, the question is: how did a dead body, a fake love letter, and – of all people – Ian Fleming come together to wrong-foot Hitler?
- ‘It’s not just the best musical I’ve ever seen; it’s the most rewarding theatrical experience I’ve ever had.’ - Taffy Brodesser-Akner, The New York Times
- ‘Pure theatrical serotonin.’ - Hugh Montgomery, Metro
- ‘Part Mel Brooks, part SIX, part Hamilton with a side order of One Man, Two Guvnors.’ - Neil Norman, The Daily Mirror
- ‘Before curtain I talked to a fan seeing this for the seventh time. I wondered why anyone would see the same show seven times. Now I know.’ - Neil Armstrong, Mail On Sunday
- ‘An unmissable night of theatre… if it's coming anywhere even close to you, then catch it while you can’ - Dianne Bourne, Manchester Evening News
Orchard Theatre
Orchard Theatre
The Orchard Theatre, Home Gardens, Dartford
Dartford
DA1 1ED
The Orchard Theatre is conveniently located in Home Gardens, Dartford. It draws in the newest and highly demanded productions touring the United Kingdom.
Being a receiving theatre, it attracts the leading companies and offers the best in world-class entertainment to its audiences. It is famous for hosting a wide variety of popular music, dance, comedy, drama, classical music, family shows, bands, West End musicals and other ‘variety’ events. There is also an annual pantomime at the theatre that adds to its range of event types. The theatre has a seating capacity of about 1,017 people.
Dartford is a bustling market town; whose history is as old as the Romans. Within the town centre, where the Orchard stands, it becomes the stage for a colourful twice-a-week market. The Dartford Borough Council built the venue. The Duke of Kent officially opened it on Thursday 14th April 1983. A part of Qdos Entertainment, HQ Theatres & Hospitality has been running the theatre since 2008. The Orchard Theatre has earned itself the reputation of being a premier venue offering an astonishing range of entertainment. It has also enjoyed huge success since its foundation, welcoming some of the leading and most respected people from the arts and entertainment industry.
The Building Design Partnership designed the theatre, and John Wickham Associated constructed it. During the improvement of the Box Office and Bar in 1989, the building’s architecture underwent some changes, including a front of house renovation. While the Stalls is flexible with retractable seating, there are two spacious Balconies with fitted seating. The 50-person orchestra pit and the forestage are also adaptable.
In the summer of 2019, the Orchard Theatre underwent a major redevelopment to improve the visitor experience. It allowed the theatre to expand its variety of events on offer and equip modern features, as well as enhance energy-efficiency by adding new lighting throughout the building. Several changes were made during the £500,000 project. The auditorium saw a facelift and the installation of fresh new seats in each space. The in-house sound system was reconfigured to not only improve audibility but also add better audio-description and infra-red facilities. The entire foyer spaces and auditorium got new carpets along with other decorative and cosmetic enhancements.
This landmark in Home Gardens is home to various services and facilities for events. Complete with a full bar and catering facility, it is just the ideal environment for even conference, training, meeting, seminar, service, and product awareness sessions.