Almost 30 years after it initially premiered in London, Miss Saigon embarks on an international tour, bringing its impressive company of 60 to The Alhambra Theatre where LEO OWEN caught the show

The sound of a helicopter and a beautiful red sunset cocooned by wooden stilt houses sets the scene for Claude-Michel Schönberg and Alain Boublil’s musical version of Giacomo Puccini’s opera, Madame Butterfly. There’s the hustle and bustle of the cast as a lone woman stands centrally, recently escaped from the countryside where her family were slaughtered during the Vietnam War.

Here in the city, Kim (Sooha Kim) finds the covetous kindness of a dubiously-named brothel owner called The Engineer (Christian Rey Marbella). Advertised as the virgin of The Engineer’s scantily-clad crew, Kim is an innocent forced into prostitution through tragic circumstance. Her work at Dreamhouse remains thankfully short-lived as disillusioned U.S. GI Chris (Ashley Gilmour) falls for her and an epic but doomed romance commences.

After the enormous success of Les Misérables in 1985, Schönberg and Boublil triumphed again by creating an equally sweeping, topical and emotionally rousing stage show with Miss Saigon. Opening solo Movie in my Mind is highly affecting, showcasing a stirring performance and beautiful vocals from Aicelle Santos as Gigi, poignantly observing the soldiers, “kill like men… die like boys.”

Director, Laurence Connor’s cast do not disappoint, collectively giving unanimously strong performances with beautiful heart-wrenching duets in Sun and Moon and Last Night of the World from the lovers played by Kim and Gilmour. I Still Believe, duetted by Kim and Elana Martin playing Ellen, is another touching track while Act One’s closing song, I’d Give My Life For You, is testimony to the late William David Brohn’s brilliant orchestrations as ominous instrumentals seep into Kim’s sweet lyrics, foreshadowing later events.

Bittersweet numbers like this directly contrast to the large ensemble military marches and more comedic songs sung by The Engineer; a selfish and mercenary character full of cheek, he provides comic relief singing about his “moist mamas” and ping pong show “hole in ones”. Although villainous at times, his character is just as three dimensional and complex as the leads, shown by his conflicted identity in The American Dream and The Morning of the Dragon where he perhaps ironically admits, “Where I go I speak Uncle Ho but think Uncle Sam.”

David Harris’ touring set design remains ambitious in scope, boasting both a car and helicopter on stage, while remaining impressively fluid. Strobes, a giant golden statue of Hồ Chí Minh, multiple flags, warriors and a giant dragon marionette puppet, complete with smoky breath and glowing red eyes, depict the communist regime with tight choreography from Benjamin Osborne.

A sweeping production with the operatic tone of its inspirational source material, Miss Saigon explores timeless issues like arranged marriage, the effects of war, prostitution, genocide and the plight of refugees. Only criticisms are perhaps its need for a clearer bridge between the first and second act and the maudlin video backdrop accompanying Bui Doi (literally meaning “dust of life” to refer to Vietnam’s street children and juvenile gangs). Emotionally wrought and visually pleasing in its attention to detail, this legendary musical continues to command standing ovations and movingly reflects cultural clashes in its tragic, unforgiving and rather harsh conclusion.

Miss Saigon shows at The Alhambra September 19-20 October before continuing its tour:

https://www.miss-saigon.com/uk-ireland-tour