Miss Saigon – UK Tour, Reviewed at the Palace Theatre Manchester

In the 36 years since its premiere, Boublil and Schönberg’s Miss Saigon has cemented its place as one of musical theatre’s most popular and enduring works. Despite criticism of its plot and premise, the sheer drama and passion of the story continues to draw audiences. Opera companies continue to produce Madame Butterfly, which shares a common source and served as its inspiration, and audiences have the intelligence to read the often controversial narrative in context.

So much for whether the show should continue to appear on stage, a question that is seemingly answered by the recent announcement that this new tour will return for a repeat engagement next August at Manchester’s Palace Theatre, where it has received its national press performance this week. Demand for tickets seems to be exceeding supply.

The real question is, of course, does this much heralded brand new production (from Michael Harrison in association with Cameron Mackintosh, and directed by Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy) do anything to merit its tagline ‘The Legend Reborn’? The reaction of a stunned audience certainly provides the answer to that one.

Whilst many musical revivals in recent years have gone for pared-back staging and the heavy use of video in place of physical sets, the team responsible for this show has taken a far more traditional approach. Andrew D Edwards has provided a towering stage set that can best be described as monumental. Packed with detail and filling every inch of the vast stage, this constantly moving structure is visually breathtaking, and is sumptuously lit by Bruno Poet. Every time it seems that it can’t reveal any more secrets, along comes another transformation. This does, as many will be delighted to learn, include a very practical and solid realization of the iconic helicopter scene in Kim’s nightmare. Video is used with great subtlety to add touches of detail to the backdrops and, more significantly, some dream-like front cloth imagery that marks the major scene changes.

Astonishingly however, the physical presentation does not upstage the performances, because the cast, under Van Der Spuy’s masterful direction, are so strong that they are always the focus of attention. In what is likely to become a career defining performance, Julianne Pundan makes a stunning professional stage debut as Kim. The weight that she brings to her role is quite extraordinary, and she succeeds in giving her character immense dignity and control. Her vocal performances are first class, but these are matched by exceptional acting. Opposite her as Chris is Jack Kane, who likewise redefines the part. Kane reins in his considerable stage presence in performances of tremendous subtlety, especially in numbers such as ‘Why God, Why’, where he eschews vocal punch in favour of dramatic integrity.

The extraordinary Seann Miley Moore reprises the role of The Engineer which they played in the 2023 international tour. There is undeniably comedy in the part, which offers necessary emotional uplift to the evening, but Miley Moore tempers this with a biting dramatic edge to the character.

Equalling the above and beautifully matched in terms of vocal texture and dramatic flair, are Mikko Juan as Thuy, Dominic Hartley Harris as John, Emily Langham as Ellen and Ace as Gigi. Meanwhile, the ensemble cast is choreographed to perfection, something that is especially apparent in the immaculate staging of ‘The Morning of the Dragon’.

There will be those who question the validity of another revival of such a controversial piece of storytelling, but with casting like this and direction of such delicate nuance, a recreation of the show for modern audiences is wholly justified for the way in which it finds both the beauty and the horror in the writing and narrative.

The legend is, indeed, well and truly reborn.

Miss Saigon is at the Palace Theatre Manchester to 15th November and continues touring through to August 2026.

Star Rating: Five stars ★★★★★

Production Photography by Danny Kaan 

Julianne Pundan (Kim), Mikko Juan (Thuy) and company

Seann Miley Moore (The Engineer). Julianne Pundan (Kim) and company

 

Jack Kane (Chris)

Ace (Gigi), Seann Miley Moore (The Engineer) and company

This review was originally written for and published by Musical Theatre Review