REVIEW - Miss Saigon is captivating, flamboyant and devastatingly emotional

On Thursday, we were invited to see Miss Saigon at the Palace Theatre. Read what our reviewer Leanne Parker had to say about this excellent production...

The heat is on in Saigon, and this evening, it’s also cranking up inside the Palace Theatre in Manchester as we arrive and take our seats. As the lights dim, we open the performance to the sound of whirring helicopters and are transported into a world of chaos, passion, and heartbreak. Cleverly projected visuals and immersive lighting set the stage for an evening that redefines one of musical theatre’s most iconic works. As someone who has seen the original version of this show multiple times, I’ll start by saying that this is a brand new, modernised production with some, not insignificant updates in its casting, creative direction and staging compared to the original 1989 version. So, while I thought I knew what to expect, I also didn’t know what to expect! Director Jean-Pierre van der Spuy (Oliver!, Les Misérables World Tour, Porgy and Bess) has brought Michael Harrison's (in association with Cameron Mackintosh) re-imagined version of Boublil and Schönberg’s epic musical to the stage as part of an extensive UK and Ireland Tour. Harrison who has been producing and reviving productions to great acclaim for many years, has turned his attention and creative talents to the legendary Miss Saigon and I was extremely excited to experience it this evening. 

The first half of the production is mostly set against the backdrop of the last few days of the Vietnamese War. We meet 17-year-old Kim, (Julianne Pundan - Just So, Fangirls, A Brighter Sound), whose life has been shattered by the conflict in her Country. Her family have been destroyed, and she has fled the countryside, leaving behind her fiancé Thuy, who she was promised to by her parents and who we later find out, betrayed his own people. To survive, Kim has had to take work at the ironically named ‘Dreamland’ bar, operated by the charismatic and eccentric Engineer, played insanely well by Seann Miley Moore (Rent, Tired Ass Showgirls, Hedwig and the Angry Inch). On a fateful evening, Kim meets a young, disillusioned GI called Chris, played by Jack Kane (with a background in film - Dragonheart Vengeance, Years and Years). From that point, nothing will ever be the same again for any of them. We are swept into the heady innocence and playfulness of their short romance, in stark contrast to the brutality of their surroundings emphasizing the themes of innocence against the chaos. While everything around them is falling apart – they fall together in love.  Pundan, who is making her professional debut in a major lead role as Kim, and Kane portray sweetly, the warmth and genuineness of their connection on the stage this evening, which makes it even more heart-wrenching when they are torn apart in later scenes.

A lot happens in the short space of time in this pacey performance as we head towards the climax of the first half and we are transported three years ahead to a time when Vietnam has fallen to the Vietcong. Chris has returned to the US and married Ellen (Emily Langham - Hello Dolly!, The Witches, Carousel, Oklahoma!) and while he battles with PTSD and the horrors of the memories that haunt him, she is trying to love him and build a life with him, while having no idea of the events that occurred between he and Kim. Kim, meanwhile, has held true to her belief that she and Chris will be reunited, that they will find their way back to one another. The scene with Pundan and Langham – ‘I still believe’ was an emotional grenade, with both women giving impassioned, heart-rending performances. The Engineer, imprisoned as Vietnam fell, and put through attempted ‘re-education’, remains as entrepreneurial as ever, a detail which, for the first time, strikes me as bringing a real depth and strength to the character, a nuance that I have previously perhaps, missed. He has negotiated a chance of freedom by agreeing to help Thuy, now a Commissar, find Kim, who he still believes is still honour-bound to marry him. Of course, The Engineer being as resourceful as ever, manages to find her and leads Thuy to her, earning his freedom. However, there is a dark turn of events and a twist in the story which is revealed. The revelation that Kim has a son with Chris adds devastating weight to the narrative, and the sequence of events that follow is electrifying. The performances of Pundan and Mikko Juan (Dick Whittington, The Changeling, Aladdin) as Thuy, are intense. Kim’s primal reflex to protect her child is played out with devastating consequences. You are drawn in, invested and entirely unable to look away from it. As the scene concludes, the stillness hangs in the air, a moment shared by the audience. We’ve barely recovered from that before the first half culminates in a heart-wrenching rendition of “I’d Give My Life for You.” It is emotional stuff and we’re only halfway there!

The second half opens with the emotive piece ‘Bui Doi’, with Dominic Hartley-Harris (Mozart: Her Story, Dreamgirls, Bonnie and Clyde, Rent) delivering the melody and words with conviction. From here, the production accelerates into a relentless emotional journey, punctuated by moments of levity but dominated by themes of loss and survival and the continuous shift in energy is overwhelming right through to the devastating final scene, which, despite knowing it is coming, and despite having seen in many times, still left me literally sobbing out loud (along with quite a few of the audience members around me as tissues were passed along rows and tear stained faces were revealed at lights up)! But while it’s certainly hard going at times, and uncomfortable to watch in places, that feels right for the story it tells. Ironically, for all its heaviness, while I liked the first half, I loved the second half!

The Production & Design team have created something quite special in this production. The set & costume design has been crafted by Andrew D. Edwards who has an extensive list of productions under his belt (Mary Poppins, Something Rotton, Romeo Und Juliet, Jesus Christ Superstar). The staging isn’t busy – in fact, in many ways it’s quite simple, but it’s effective. It feels like he has brought his entire skill and craft to this event. The moving set is immersive, evoking both the tenderness and humanness of the characters and their lives and the chaos and grit of wartime Saigon. It is perfectly complemented by the stunning lighting design from Bruno Poet (The Seagull, Richard II, The Devil Wears Prada, 42 Balloons) whose name is apt, given the poetic influence it has over the production. From the neon-lit bar scenes to the haunting refugee escape, and from the soft tender moments dotted throughout the production to the rousing large scale ensemble pieces, every detail is meticulously considered and used in a way that brings pure alchemy to the stage. As the scenes shift and the full gamut of emotions unravel before us, the lighting creates a constant narrative to encourage we, the audience to feel the moment – from the assaulting brash neon opening (‘The Heat is on in Saigon’), to the romance of Kim and Chris’s first night (‘Sun and Moon’), through to the harsh, confronting strobes used during the evacuation scene, Poet has designed it all to make an impact, and it certainly did for me.   

As I stated at the start of this review, I am no stranger to Miss Saigon, having seen it several times previously. I knew this was an updated, reimagined production, but wasn’t clear on the direction this would take in real time. This production has certainly seen several changes, some subtle and some less so, from the original version which debuted at the Drury Lane Theatre, London, in 1989. Many of these have been driven by a desire to revive this story for the era in which we now exist. Many of the themes and creative decisions in the original Miss Saigon were controversial then and are at odds with more modern cultural shifts and there is a very evident acknowledgement here of this. Specific changes reflect cultural sensitivities, such as in the casting itself. This is a cast where Asian performers play Asian characters. Likewise, it’s evident in some of the language, which has been removed or altered. Creatively, there are changes too. This production uses modern theatrical technology and is built on a more contemporary vision to present the story in a fresh way. It is clever and works genuinely well for the most part. Several scenes within this reimagined production, however, did leave me feeling like something was missing. The flashback scene to the evacuation of the US soldiers is one point where the staging is very different to the original and while its well managed and cleverly delivered, for me, it lost some of its impact. I also found that I really missed the Cadillac in ‘The American Dream’ although that was is probably just a ‘me’ issue because that scene was one of the standout parts of the evening! Moore and the ensemble cast are utterly superb in this absolute showstopper of a number. It is a fever dream of pizzazz, extravagance, dramatic flair and a masterclass in over-the-top spectacle, elevating the character of The Engineer to iconic status. It is also a jarring juxtaposition as it sits before one of the most emotionally charged scenes of any production I have ever experienced, the finale of the show.  

This is a solid cast with some very strong performances, notably Pundan as Kim. For a first professional role, she delivers an outstanding performance throughout with a level of emotional awareness for the character which belies her young age and does nothing to hint at her professional inexperience. She is certainly one to watch if her first professional role is anything to go by! By far the standout performance of the evening is delivered by Seann Miley Moore. Their depiction of The Engineer is easily the best I have ever seen. They are diabolical, despicable, and utterly delightful to watch. There are rare occasions in theatre where you experience a performance where it is not that the artist embodies the role they play, but rather that the role they are playing embodies them. Where this happens, and as I said, it’s very rare it is pure magic. This is one of those occasions and Moore delivers a world-class performance. They wear sleaze like it’s a tailored suit that was made to fit them; they throw out crude language like it’s going out of fashion, and they somehow encourage you to like and loathe the character in almost equal measures. They are consistently good throughout the production, earning them a well-deserved standing ovation and some of the loudest cheers from the audience. Kim and Chris’s little boy Tam is played on rotation by several young performers, all aged between 5 and 7 years of age. There was no information as to which child played the role this evening, but they were a real credit, earning plenty of ‘Ahs’ and huge applause from the audience.    
  

Overall, I started out not knowing what the reimagined version of this iconic production would look or feel like. I left the theatre feeling both empty and full at the same time, exhausted by the relentless pace of the journey taken over the last few hours. Some superb casting, and this team of remarkable creatives have delivered a production which attempts to tell an uncomfortable story in a way which captivates audiences and is respectful to those with the lived experiences of the stories it represents. This version clearly wants to address some of the criticisms that have previously been levelled at artistic dramatizations of this historical period, and I believe that in many ways, it delivers on that, capturing the hearts and minds of a new generation of theatre goers, many of whom may not have seen the original in the process. It’s a powerful exploration of human resilience in the face of adversity, sacrifice for the love of a child and a reminder of the enduring impact of war. The strength portrayed by the character of Kim is especially poignant and is certainly something that remains with me now as I reflect on the evening. But equally, albeit in different ways, the strength of The Engineer, the Vietnamese girls, the side characters too – this reimagined show somehow seems to draw that theme out much more clearly. All the elements of this performance combine to create a production that feels both epic and deeply personal. It retains the emotional core of the original, but introduces modernized staging, nuanced cultural sensitivity, and attention to detail evident in the creative decisions —making it both familiar and refreshingly contemporary. It is a captivating, at times flamboyant, at times devastatingly emotional, beautifully crafted production which truly delivers on its bold slogan of ‘a legend reborn’.   

WE SCORE MISS SAIGON...




Miss Saigon is on at the Palace Theatre Saturday 16th November 2025 and then returns for a week on Tuesday 4th August 2026


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