Miss Saigon @ The Prince Edward Theatre
The return of Miss Saigon is inarguably the biggest event in the West End this year, with Cameron Mackintosh and his team once again showing that nobody can launch a musical with quite as much panache. The big question though is would the new production match up to the original. A big question for me as Miss Saigon is my all-time favourite musical!
I read the reviews from press night a few months ago and was a little disheartened to see most critics suggesting that while the show looked wonderful it lacked heart. I was gutted (and not just because I wasn’t invited to the grand opening… ), my favourite and people were saying it had returned a lesser show.
Well, thankfully my wonderful wife bought me tickets for my birthday and so on Thursday (our wedding anniversary no less) we arrived at the beautiful Prince Edward theatre to take in the matinee.
From the off it was clear this really was a new Miss Saigon, darker and sleazier than its predecessor, but not lacking in the poignant moments audiences know so well. This is most typified by Jon Jon Briones’ snake-hipped Engineer. Previously an almost comedic figure, Briones makes Tran Van Dinh a truly despicable and yet innately likeable creature. Maybe it’s a product of the modern world, we all love an anti-hero so despite this guy being pretty vile the audience fall for his Machiavellian games and passion for bettering himself. Briones was famously in the original cast and there are a couple of hints of Jonathan Pryce here but these are knowing nods rather than imitation.
The big newcomer is Eva Noblezada, discovered at her high school in the US she makes her professional debut in this show and is a talent worth watching. She not only has a beautiful singing voice but is a very subtle performer, not overdoing the emotions early on and building Kim’s story to the inevitable climax with real depth of character. She blends wonderfully with Alistair Brammer’s love struck Chris and their voices match perfectly. Brammer plays the confused young marine well and his brooding nature in the second act is an interesting take on the part.
Elsewhere Hugh Maynard’s John is a strutting , aggressive marine one moment and a soulful advocate the next, his version of Bui Doi has a gospel air and would steal almost any show if it didn’t have to contend with Jon Jon Briones’ take on American Dream. Tamsin Carroll gives the strong showing we would expect as Ellen, but her new song, Maybe, isn’t a patch on Now That I’ve Seen Her.
I was pleasantly surprised by Kwang-Ho Hong who makes Kim’s childhood love Thuy a complex character who you can’t help sympathising with. Rachelle Ann Go matches any of her colleagues in vocal power and gives Gigi a real character, rather than just being a girl in a bikini with a nice voice, startlingly sexy one minute and vulnerable the next, she might be the breakout talent in the cast (though she’s already a huge star in the Philippines).
The helicopter is once again going to be the most talked about aspect of the show and they’ve brought that aspect up to date brilliantly, the chorus work is superb too, from bustling crowds and bar patrons to the chilling Ho Chi Minh City scenes they all build the mood with their movement and some wonderful choral singing.
At heart though this is the story of a young girl dealing with all the issues in front of her and the men who influence that life. So for all that the set is gorgeous and the set pieces are fantastic, the show will rise or fall based on its lead performers. Thankfully they’re all very, very good!
