Miss Saigon - Theatre Royal / Prince Edward / UK Tour

Booked for Monday, then realised thats usually the understudy Engineer day. Possibly reitterating a question already asked, but what are the chances of Red being on Monday? Really eager to see him, having missed out last time.

Thanks. Will probably just have to make a trip later in the week also!

Red was on tonight.
And on form he was.
Full report tomorrow, but god damn this show is in good shape. Some great changes since Leicester 8 months ago.
Hands down the best touring production on the road currently.

So good, I could gush for hours about it.

We got £20 circle E and it’s a great for a full perspective. Palace is great for sight lines too so nothing was missed.

Thank god for producers like Cam Mac, that’s all I can say. I’m going to be broke by the end of May 😂

Aisle seat, legs kicked out so no issue.. I’m only 5’7 anyway so not much of a squeeze.

It was a bit of a squeeze. I was ok til about ten minutes before the end of Act one then my bum went numb. I was a gentleman and let my other half have the aisle seat as he's taller than me.

So, Miss Saigon 02/04/18; My fourth visit.
I first saw the show back in the gods of The Palace, Manchester, early 2000's, so it was great to revisit the show in the same theatre. With subsequent visits to the revised show in London & Leicester when the tour was still in previews.
This show is in such good shape. It's developed in places since my visit in Leceister, where most notable changes sit in Act 2's Girls & American Dream scenes. It really is the perfect union of many technical elements, so wonderfully executed.

Dreamland opens the show alot tighter than previously, which at times felt a little cluttered. Dreamland had prevously suffered as result of loud background noise, rhubarb and noisy metal furnature banging and clattering around. This has been softened massivly and the scene benifits greatly from this.

Miss Saigon, I feel, really is the Engineers show - without the Engineer Chris & Kim wouldn't have met - and with Red at the reigns this show is in very safe hands. Red provides a slightly less nuanced Engineer than Jon Jon, a bit sleazier and camper, adhering to that sterotypical asian pimp you might see in the movies, but I think it really works for the UK regional audiences who were lapping up his entire performace.
Lots of individuality to his performance and a very subtle Trump reference made its way into American dream with the mime to 'Blonde wigs'-line which I found an hilarious detail.
I like that they've made even more of the ping pong moment, completely halting 'Girls' in the process. There were some audible gasps from a few older audience members that morphed into chuckles. They've made the Book of Mormon reference even bigger with two "Im a mormon!"s now, instead of just one 8 months back, but the second got even more laughs and recognition than the first so a worthwhile development.

When I go to a show, I go first and foremost to listen to the show. I could happily experience most shows with the Saftey Curtain in, that said, as most can tell from my posts here, I am a massive stickler for decent sound at shows and most dissapoint in some way or other. The sound at Miss Saigon last night was almost faultless. Crisp and dynamic. The original DX7 keyboard sounds were really prevelant in the mix, and they sounded great! I hope they go back to the original keyboard orchestrations for the upcoming Les Mis tour, because for me, they really help define some of the character of the show.

With Saigon however, I could happily re-watch this show mute. The oriental watercolour lit-backdrop against which every scene silluhettes is so beautiful. On every visit I find myself always drawn to it to appreciate it as sunsets animate across so subtly, most notably on the Act 1 & 2 finales. I much prefer this revision of the show visually to the original with its Asian-influenced paper blind box set.

After the ensemble left American Dream, somethin didn't sit right. I couldn't isolate what, a revisits needed to put my finger on it, but there was some detail missing or not quite right that jarred.

The weakest part of the show, for me, is 'Maybe'. A replacement for 'It's Her or Me' which I dont think really was altogether necessary. Granted its a good change of character for Ellen, softening her from the original, but I think they could have changed just the lyrics for the original ("Maybe its me..?"). Even the orchestrations for 'Maybe' feel a little lacklustre against some of the other more emotive songs. Unfortunately the delivery of the song didn't help, as the first half was addressed to the orchestra pit for the main. I'm sure the guys on the first row of stalls enjoyed it, but up in the circle I felt a little discconnected. That said, I did enjoy a slightly different take on Eleen, a little less obtuse, more innocent 'caught in the middle' representation that really helped identify her plight.

One thing I really feel this show could do without is the Hollywood-"Nooo!" from Chris at the end. I really think he should just react visually without a cry as the music wraps up. Imagine the finale of Phantom where Meg Giry crawls from under the portcullis, lifts off the drape from the chair, grabs the mask and falls to the floor and crys out "Nooooooo!", the audience would erupt in laughter. I feel its distractingly unnecessary.

It is so refreshing to see such a solid, high calibre performance on the road. Credit to the production team for keeping the energy and momentum up on this. 4.9/5*

Yes The Wedding Ceremony was changed when the Broadway revival opened because one of the Ensemble was Vietnamese and (rightly so) went to Cameron or one of the producers saying that it was offensive having the Vietnamese chants by the girls being essentially jibberish so it is now authentic Vietnamese. I can remember one other line that’s been changed is “I gotta get my friend laid as a last souvenir” —> “I gotta get my friend laid before war turns him queer” and there are probably others I’ve forgotten too.

Yes, sympathetic is a great word to despite the portayal of Ellen. I liked that she wasn't as cold and as a result I brought into Chris's decision to stick with her moreso - which ultimately made that final outburst from Chris all the more obsurd.


Lying awake last night processing everything two things struck me...
1) Imagine this show in the hands of a different production team. Imagine a BKL or selladoor staging of it. I just don't think it'd work.

2) Most importantly..... Whos ready for the sequel? Miss Saigon 2?! Tam is now 18 and goes to Asia in search of his 'uncle' to trace his heritage. Chris has become an alcoholic as a result of the metal anguish he's gone through and Ellens left him for John (There was always sexual tension there). Tam ends up working at the Engineers new place in Thailand and becomes Tammy. Not decided on the ending, yet. Any suggestions?!

ATG Card offer: now £35 seats available for the duration of its stay in Manchester. Some £20 seats available top of next week too.

I think this show is a grower for me, as was the case with Les Mis. I had to invest a couple of viewings in that before the score really hit me and this is exactly the same. First time I saw it at the Prince Edward I was halfway back in the stalls. I liked it ok, but it didn’t really register because a lot of the lyrics were lost. The lighting is so dark much of the time I found it quite hard to “read” the actors. Third time for me tonight and i found some parts of it quite emotional. Being up close in the two times Ive seen the tour has means I’ve been much more engaged in the story, rather than being dazzled by the spectacle of those big numbers.

Alternate Engineer who was different but equally as good as Red, a little less cuddly and more menacing.

Has his diction improved any? I found I struggled to follow him at times at the Curve, despite being familiar with the source material (I used to listen to it daily on minidisk on my way to school!).