REVIEW: Miss Saigon at Newcastle Theatre Royal

Miss Saigon

Newcastle Theatre Royal

Until Saturday 25 October 2025

Michael Harrison, in association with Cameron Mackintosh's, reinterpretation of Boublil and Schönberg's legendary musical Miss Saigon  is a spectacular production that finishes its run at Newcastle Theatre Royal this week. The original show has been seen by 36 million people worldwide since it first opened in 1989 and it continues to be popular with audiences. So what does this new production feel like?

The show has had a major reworking and probably doesn't benefit with comparison with the old show. Fresh set and costume design from Andrew D Fisher and new orchestration from Stephen Metcalfe on top of new choreography by Chrissie Cartwright and Carrie-Anne Ingrouille has put new energy into the format. Hey, even the helicopter has a make-over, and personally has more impact now. By going back to the source and starting again the Newcastle crowd were given a real treat.

War brings out the best and worst in people. Being a parent, I know the bond one can have with one's child and as a human, as well as the power of the first love you feel as a teenager. This is the cornerstone of what makes the show relevant.

The musical, based on Puccini's Madama Butterfly tells the story of love born within the debauchery of a brothel in the Vietnam war, between a US Marine (Chris) and a bargirl (Kim) being groomed to be a prostitute by the "Engineer" a pimp-cum-bar manager who has dreams of being an American citizen.

The abandonment of Kim (unwillingly, during evacuation by the American troops) by Chris propels her into prostitution. She works to support Chris's son who is "Bui-Doi" (street child), the name given to children fathered by American troops.

The story is a heartbreaking tale of loss, separation, determination to survive, and self-sacrifice by a number of the characters. It also focusses on people who try to profit from war and sell their souls and those of others just for financial gain.

The scene changes and lighting are cleverly carried out in this show, thanks in part to a rotating element to the stage floor. Newcastle Theatre Royal's stage manages to contain multiple layers of scenery, and a helicopter at one point. Sound and lighting threw us into a war zone and the red-light district of Bangkok with equal ease.

The choreography deserves a mention as such a large cast was sculpted into a fabulous show and dancers did not miss a beat. Action was sometimes disturbing but that's the story. It was not a clean war.

The cast were amazing with strong vocal performances from Julianne Pundan (Kim), Jack Kane (Chris) and Mikko Juan (Thuy) to name but a few. No one fell short of outstanding. Having saif that - special mention goes to Dominic Hartley-Harris (John) setting his stall out in the opening of the second act Bui Doi.

Seann Miley Moore (The Engineer) was entertaining throughout the show in portraying the grifting opportunist that had the chap behind me laughing loudly regularly through the show. His singing went centre stage during The American Dream and it was a rallying call for the survivor mentality.

The 12 piece orchestra filled the air with a rich sound and did the music real justice in this production. It is fabulous to here a complex orchestration performed live.

Gripping and emotional, this rollercoaster of a show hits the spot.

Review: Stephen Oliver

Tickets:

🎟️ Miss Saigon at Newcastle Theatre Royal

📅 Dates: Saturday 4 – Saturday 25 October 2025
🔗 Tickets & Info: Newcastle Theatre Royal Website

⚠  14+ contains scenes of a sexual and violent nature, wartime themes, firearms, derogatory and coarse language, drug use, simulated smoking of cigarettes, strobe lighting, gunshots and loud sound effects, haze and pyrotechnics