Miss Saigon

★★★★☆     Epic

Playhouse: Tues 28 Oct – Sat 1 Nov 2025
Review by Sophie Good

Miss Saigon, the tragic and epic tale of love and loss during the Vietnam war, sweeps into the Playhouse this week in a dazzling new production from Michael Harrison in association with Cameron Mackintosh.

A fresh creative team under the direction of Jean-Pierre nan der Spuy have reimagined this adaptation of Puccini’s opera Madam Butterfly as it follows the fate of 17 year old Kim and her love affair with American GI Chris, during the fall of Saigon in 1975. The Playhouse is only the second stop for new production’s extensive UK and Ireland tour.

The Engineer (Seann Miley Moore) and Kim (Julianne Pundan) in rehearsal. Pic: Danny Kaan Photography.

Miss Saigon premiered in 1989 and has been enduringly popular ever since, becoming one of the most successful musicals in history. The music by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg, shares some of the qualities of of their other hit, Les Miserables, with an operatic and high-stakes score and grandiose scale.

Julianne Pundan makes her professional debut as Kim, and hits the ground running with emotive ballads such as Movie in My Mind, Why God Why? and Last Night of the World. Pundan acts as well as she sings, giving the whole show an emotional core as she portrays the orphaned Kim’s love, setbacks and losses with real talent. Her youthful innocence is gradually destroyed as she becomes a wiser and life-hardened woman as the story progresses.

The battle-worn Chris (Jack Kane), the GI with more of a moral compass than some of his counterparts, strives to be good and yet his head is turned by the fresh faced Kim and so their fateful love affair begins. Screen veteran Kane is also making his professional stage debut and, while he is an appealing male lead with charm and energy, he sometimes lacks the vocal impact needed for such a demanding role.

substantial heft

There are many twists and turns in this epic tale, some of it based on real life events such as the largest helicopter evacuation in history in which over 7,000 Americans were evacuated from Saigon and many ‘bui doi’ (dust of life) Amerasian children were left behind by their American fathers. It’s these tragic victims of the war whose story Miss Saigon attempts to represent.

Under the musical direction of Ben Mark Turner, the live orchestra bring substantial heft to the impressive musical score. Choreographers Chrissie Cartwright and Carrie-Anne Ingrouille add the necessary pizazz to some of the bigger ensemble numbers – the military pomp of The Morning of the Dragon and show-stopping The American Dream.

Company of Miss Saigon in rehearsal. Pic: Danny Kaan Photography.

Performed by the Engineer (Seann Miley Moore), The American Dream shows his true desire, in a carnival-esque style so truly ridiculous and over the top that it’s hard to take in. Its driving fantasy, of a better life in America, does land slightly differently in current times, however. Miley Moore is enigmatic and magnetic in a queer tour-de-force performance, bringing an Emcee from Cabaret quality to the role.

No expense is spared on this high impact production which makes the most of the full height of the Playhouse stage. Andrew D Edwards’ set and costume design conjure detailed worlds as they use a rotating set to seamlessly move between wartime Saigon, the Communist run Ho Chi Minh City, Atlanta and Bangkok. Each location is recreated in detail and lit thoughtfully by Bruno Poet, with use of shafts of light through wooden slats to create that unique Asian atmosphere.

high stakes and high drama

Jean-Pierre van der Spuy’s direction brings together a large ensemble into a visual feast of film-like proportions. It’s not an understated piece, and from the very first moment the experience is high stakes and high drama. van der Spuy does not seek to find a lot of light and shade, the quieter moments of reflection that might be found in the story, but instead opts of full pelt energy and action throughout.

The sung-through musical format means there are very few moments of dialogue and all the performers are singing out their feelings with no holds barred. It’s a show that is an emotional rollercoaster and has some strong sucker punches, not least because of the small child Tam, whose tiny presence on the large stage really plays out his vulnerability as the forgotten victim of the war.

The end result is a show of pure emotion, brought to life by a talented multi-cultural cast who absolutely maximise its emotional impact. If you like your musicals full of peril and feeling, then this show will bring the house down.

Running time: Two hours and 40 mins (including one interval)
Playhouse, 18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA.
Tue 28 Oct – Sat 1 Nov 2025
Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Wed, Thur, Sat mats: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.

Glasgow King’s, 297 Bath St, Glasgow G2 4JN
Tue 9 – Sat 20 June 2026
Mon – Sat: 7.30pm; Wed, Thur, Sat mats: 2.30pm.
Tickets and details: Book here.

Miss Saigon website: www.miss-saigon.com.
Facebook: @MissSaigonOfficial.
Instagram: @misssaigonuk.

ENDS

Tags: Alain Boublil, Andrew D Edwards, Ben Mark Turner, Bruno Poet, Cameron Mackintosh, Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, Chrissie Cartwright, Claude-Michel Schönberg, Jack Kane, Jean-Pierre van der Spuy, Julianne Pundan, Michael Harrison, Miss Saigon, Musicals, Playhouse, Review, Seann Miley Moore, Sophie Good