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David Cumming (actor)

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David Cumming
Cumming in 2025
Born1987 (age 37–38)
Newcastle upon Tyne
Occupation(s)Actor, writer

David Cumming (born 1987)[1] is a British writer and actor best known for the musical Operation Mincemeat, which is currently running on both the West End and Broadway.

Early life and education

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Cumming was born in Newcastle upon Tyne.[1] He attended the University of Warwick, where he studied Theatre and Performance Studies.[1][2]

Career

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Cumming co-founded the comedy group Kill the Beast in 2012 alongside Natasha Hodgson, Zoë Roberts, Ollie Jones, and Clem Garritty.[3] Kill the Beast produced four stage productions, including The Boy Who Kicked Pigs[4] (2013), He Had Hairy Hands[5] (2014), Don't Wake The Damp[6] (2016), and Director's Cut[7] (2019).

Hodgson, Cumming, and Roberts, with newcomer Felix Hagan, split off the group in 2017 to form SpitLip with the intention of creating "big dumb musicals."[8] SpitLip's first musical, Operation Mincemeat, eventually transferred to the West End[9] and later Broadway,[10] winning the 2024 Laurence Olivier Award for Best New Musical.[11] He also received three Tony Award nominations for his creative work on the show for Best Musical, Best Book of a Musical & Best Original Score.[12] In addition to co-writing and co-composing the musical, Cumming also originated the role of "Charles Cholmondeley & Others," which he has played in every production of the show and was nominated for the Laurence Olivier Award for Best Actor in a Musical for his performance.[13]

In 2018, Cumming and Conrad Murray, in collaboration with Battersea Arts Centre's Beatbox Academy, co-directed the critically acclaimed production of Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster.[14] The production was later adapted for television by BBC Four.[3][15]

Cumming joined drag performance group Sink the Pink for two holiday-themed shows including How to Catch a Krampus in 2018[16] and Escape From Trash Planet in 2019.[17] In 2021, Cumming and Sink the Pink collaborator Ginger Johnson wrote and directed Dog Show, a canine-themed queer cabaret which ran at the Pleasance for a month.[18]

In 2023, Cumming took up the role of Guest Artistic Director at the King's Head Theatre, where he presented "QUEER FUTURES: A FESTIVAL OF THE NOW WHICH IS YET TO COME."[19] He returned in 2024 to join the cast of Outings, an anthology of coming out stories performed as a fundraiser for the LGBTQ+ Switchboard charity.[20]

Personal life

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One week before Operation Mincemeat premiered at Riverside Studios, Cumming broke his collarbone in a biking accident. His replacement in the role of Charles Cholmondeley, Sean Carey, had to learn the entire musical in a week.[21][22]

Cumming is queer.[23]

See also

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References

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  1. ^ a b c "Theatremaker David Cumming: 'I've always had a strong voice, now I'm branching out'". The Stage. Archived from the original on 6 October 2023. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  2. ^ "'Operation Mincemeat' Crosses the Pond and Takes Broadway by Storm | All Of It". WNYC. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  3. ^ a b "Who is David Cumming". TheaterMania. 2025-01-30. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  4. ^ Wicker, Tom (March 16, 2013). "The Boy Who Kicked Pigs". Exeunt. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  5. ^ "He Had Hairy Hands". Kill the Beast. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  6. ^ "Don't Wake The Damp". Kill the Beast. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  7. ^ Worsley-Carter, Lorraine (2019-10-31). "Kill The Beast: Director's Cut at The Lowry: Review". Quays Life. Retrieved 2025-04-06.
  8. ^ "Who is SpitLip? Musicals, Operation Mincemeat and more". 2024-09-30. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  9. ^ Wild, Stephi. "OPERATION MINCEMEAT Transfers To Southwark Playhouse". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  10. ^ Wild, Stephi. "Meet the Cast of OPERATION MINCEMEAT, Now in Previews on Broadway". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  11. ^ "Winners announced for 2024 Olivier Awards including Sunset Boulevard, Sarah Snook and Operation Mincemeat". 2024-04-14. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  12. ^ Evans, Greg (2025-05-01). "Tony Awards Nominations: 'Buena Vista Social Club', 'Maybe Happy Ending' And 'Death Becomes Her' Lead Way – Complete List". Deadline. Retrieved 2025-05-01.
  13. ^ "David Cumming Biography". Broadway Buzz. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
  14. ^ Clapp, Susannah (2018-04-01). "The week in theatre: The Inheritance; Frankenstein: Making a Monster – review". The Observer. ISSN 0029-7712. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  15. ^ "BBC Four - Frankenstein: How to Make a Monster". BBC. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  16. ^ "How to Catch a Krampus! – Pleasance Theatre | Musical Theatre Review". Musical Theatre Review. 29 November 2018. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  17. ^ "Sink the Pink announce drag sci-fi b-movie Christmas adventure Escape From Planet Trash". Theatre-News.com. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  18. ^ Thefry, Chloe (2021-11-30). "Interview: David Cumming – Dog Show @ The Plesance". CentreStage. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  19. ^ Wild, Stephi. "David Cumming's QUEER FUTURES: A FESTIVAL OF THE NOW WHICH IS YET TO COME Comes To The King's Head Theatre In July". BroadwayWorld.com. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  20. ^ Millward, Tom (2024-05-21). "King's Head Theatre announces Outings – a Pride fundraiser". WhatsOnStage. Retrieved 2025-04-14.
  21. ^ "David Cumming from Operation Mincemeat - Random 8". British Comedy Guide. 2022-06-21. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  22. ^ Loveridge, Lizzie (2022-08-20). "REVIEW: Operation Mincemeat, Riverside Studios (2022)". TheatreVibe. Retrieved 2025-04-15.
  23. ^ Selman, Chris (2023-09-11). ""People are coming to the show and adding new levels of queer joy" - David Cumming on West End hit Operation Mincemeat". GAY TIMES. Retrieved 2025-04-08.
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