Operation Mincemeat, The Underdog Musical Heading To Australia
Calling all theatre kids: A bonus episode on Operation Mincemeat (https://operationmincemeat.com/), the hit UK musical heading to Australia next year.
Earlier this year, Maggie headed over to London as part of a select group of Australian journalists to learn more about Operation Mincemeat. The Olivier and Tony-winning musical comedy was written and composed by the British theater collective SpitLip made up of David Cumming, Felix Hagan, Natasha Hodgson, and Zoë Roberts.
Set in 1943 during World War II, the musical is based off a true MI5 operation of the same name. To deceive Adolf Hitler and conceal the Allied invasion of Sicily, British intelligence officers use a dead homeless man's corpse, a falsified identity ("Major William Martin"), fake love letters, and an assist from a young Ian Fleming to plant misleading invasion plans off the coast of Spain.
It became one of the best-reviewed shows in West End history, and in this episode, Maggie shares her thoughts as well as a quick behind-the-scenes chat with the creators themselves.
Keep your eyes peeled for when Operation Mincemeat lands in Australia in 2027. You heard the Bookmarked rec here first, okay?
You can read Maggie's Broadsheet feature on the musical here (https://www.broadsheet.com.au/national/entertainment/article/operation-mincemeat-musical-australia). Remember, you can watch our episodes on YouTube (https://www.youtube.com/@CultureClubPod) and receive more Culture Club recs on Substack (https://substack.com/@cultureclubpod).
* While Maggie was invited as a guest of the musical, this episode was not a paid partnership nor included in the editorial package. Basically, Maggie is sharing this for the love of the game and for our fellow theatre fans.
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27 Oct 2026
Grief, Ambition & Creative Recovery With Musician Gretta Ray
Musician Gretta Ray (https://www.instagram.com/grettaray/?hl=en) was just 18 years old when she shot to national fame after winning the coveted Triple J Unearthed High competition in 2016 with her breakout single ‘Drive’. Gretta has since gone on to release two records, ‘Begin To Look Around’ in 2020 and ‘Positive Spin’ in 2024.
As her career reached new heights, Gretta made the move to London. But just a short while later, she fell seriously ill with chronic infective endocarditis (an infection of the inner lining of the heart chambers and valves) at only 26 years old.
In the years since, Gretta has been healing and rebuilding at home in Australia, and is ready for a new chapter with her album ‘Heartsong’, out on October 30.
In this episode of Culture Club Chats, we discuss her journey from an 18-year-old with a hit single to a 26-year-old fighting for survival and the art that grew from it.
Thank you for listening. Jas & Mags xo
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19 Oct 2026
Friendship Wellness Gaps, Sally Rooney’s Book Ban & Bias In Traitors
Sally Rooney’s book ban, the unconscious bias in Traitors, and does your friendship have a wellness gap?
Hi friends! After a quick catch-up, we get into pop culture news, including the HBO Max reunion of the CENTURY. We play a Reel from Girls Rewatch Podcast (Girls%20rewatch%20podcast). Books by Sally Rooney will no longer be sold in the UK because of the Irish novelist's support for Palestine Action, an organisation that has been banned in the country. What does this mean for one of the most famous writers of our time?
Season 2 of the UK Celebrity Traitors is currently airing but in the second elimination of the game a “faithful” contestant, American Industry actress Myha’la Herrold who is Black was eliminated, sparking an interesting conversation about the role that unconscious racial and cultural bias plays in the game.
We reference The Times and Sunday Times data journalist Yennah Smart's report (https://www.tiktok.com/@thetimes/video/7598305040670969110?is_from_webapp=1&sender_device=pc) on this from January and We Need To Talk About The Traitors And Unconscious Bias (https://www.vogue.co.uk/article/the-traitors-season-4-unconscious-bias) by Nicole Vassell for British Vogue.
Next, are you losing friends to the “Wellness Gap”? It’s a question that Gen Z led media company, Impact (https://impact.site/), asked recently. We break down what it means and if we're feeling it in our friendships as well.
In Bookmarked, we hear from Culture Club listener Kahlia who recommends two books: The World Beneath Her Feet (https://www.readings.com.au/product/9781460759394/the-world-beneath-her-feet-the-new-heartwarming-novel-from-the-bestselling-author-of-the-lost-flowers-of-alice-hart-and-the-seven-skins-of-esther-wilding--holly-ringland--2026--9781460759394) by Holly Ringland and Mad Mabel (https://www.panmacmillan.com.au/9781761773921/) by Sally Hepworth. Maggie recommends The Farm (https://www.hachette.com.au/jessica-mansour-nahra/the-farm) by Jessica Mansour-Nahra, and Jas recommends the drama series The Affair (https://www.primevideo.com/dp/amzn1.dv.gti.30bbea87-8cce-379b-e8a2-7da19390c934?ref_=atv_cf_strg_wb) on Prime Video.
Thanks for listening! And if you want to share your own Bookmarked recommendation just email us a 90 second or under voice memo to cultureclubmail@gmail.com (mailto:cultureclubmail@gmail.com).
Jas & Mags xo
See omnystudio.com/listener (https://omnystudio.com/listener) for privacy information.
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