Miss Saigon - Theatre Royal / Prince Edward / UK Tour

Maybe and I believe from yesterday night have been uploaded on YT.

Thanks for this - it really shows how on form the vocals were last night. It was an incredible performance.

Oh wow last night was great, first time I've seen this Chris and finally Siobhan as Ellen, really liked her and huge improvement on her costume. Magical evening, I thought I'd see how mad the stage door was and Oh My Word! People were hearing the yells and rushing to see what was happening, think they thought a boy band was the attraction.

So pleased I was there.

Does anyone know why Jon Jon didn't perform in the matinee on Saturday? His name was on the cast board, but they called back Christian Rey (who apparently had his last show on Feb 22th)...?

It was more spectacular in the first version, the fence was just huge.

More highlights from Saturday.
Chris Peluso is fantastic.

Does anyone have and predictions or hopes for the feature film?

I had some ideas...

~ Cast an unknown for Kim as was the case when Lea and Eva were discovered. Preferably Vietnamese too...

~ cut the 'Maybe' section as it's not the strongest song and it doesn't advance the plot

~ use the live vocals technique of Les Miserables film to create a more theatrical feel

Russell Crowe to play the Engineer please

NO LIVE VOCALS!!!!


The Les Mis film is too literal. This material is per definition not literal.

The Les Mis film is basically a theatre performance on a pavement in 1 take shots. Film should be much more than that. Use all the possibilities cinematography has to offer. Elaborate editing, fantastic cinematography, bigger than life fantasy sets. Using the songs in different ways, sometimes as a voiceover, sometimes as a soundtrack and sometimes mouthed by the character. A triumph of the fantasy.

In "last night of the world" I want to see what is going on in their minds. A big romantic bamboo bed with a mosquito net, a fan, a muggy atmosphere, fantastic camera work and editing. Not because it was probably like that in real life (it was probably a dark empty room with only a mattress on the floor), but this is their thoughts being portrayed. Not literal.

In "Thuy's death" after she shot him, I want to see a huge big black space with a choir of soldiers with ghost faces singing " this is he hour". This is the end of the world in Kim's mind. Not because it was probably like that in real life, but filming the scene in 1 take in an alley between a clothes line and a trash can (Les Mis way, too literal) is not going to work.

With pre-recorded tracks a certain magic surreal reality is created that feels better/bigger than life. Then I can focus on the whole scene as a result instead of seeing an actor struggling with the notes. That is the magic I feel this film needs.


I think the role of Kim is very difficult to cast, and that the role is like a diamond. It takes years to polish and sharpen it to make it perfect. I would like to see Tanya in the film. She is a wonderful actress. 


I love the song "Maybe" and think it could work very well in the film version, maybe the second verse as a kind of voice-over when we see the first meeting of Ellen and Chris in better times.

Imagine what they could do with the Nightmare scene and Dreamland (Movie in my mind) when pre-recorded and wonderfully edited.

I was there for both shows last Saturday. What an incredible day that was!!

I'd not seen the show since early April last year before cast change and had forgotten quite what a powerful effecting show it is.

I knew it was going to be a special day when I was sitting waiting for the matinee to start, and the cast can be heard back stage doing a huddle cheer. This then prompted what sounded like the entire audience to respond with a very loud roar! The whole atmosphere for both shows was electric.

It was great seeing the new cast and some people I'd not seen before.

First the matinee.

Christian Rey Marbella was on as The Engineer and after initially being quite disappointed that Jon Jon wasn't on, I ended up really enjoying his performance. I much preferred his Engineer to his Thuy who I'd seen him play on my last vist to the show and didn't rate him then much at all.

Natalie Chua was on as Ellen. I thought She was great and made Ellen much more likeable then Tamsin Carroll did. it was also really interesting having an Asian woman play Ellen as well as I feel it really added another interesting dynamic to Kim and Chris's relationship.

I really liked Marsha Songcome as Gigi. Her voice wasn't quite as good as Rachelle Ann Go's but that's an impossibly high bar to try and reach. It was still very powerful though. Her Acting was great as well.

It was great seeing Hugh Maynard as John as I'd not seen him both my previous 2 times I'd seen the show. I thought he was great, his "Bui Doi" was excellent.

I really liked Sangwoong Jo as Thuy. His diction wasn't the best. It tickled me a bit when he sort of pronounced "he" as "she", but I feel he more then made up for it with his singing and acting.

Chris Peluso as Chris was very good. His voice was great! I think I prefer Alistair Brammer in terms of acting choices though. Chris Peluso just didn't seem to get as emotionally involved in the character as Alistair Brammer did. Maybe though, this in truer to what a real Vietnam war veteran would act like, finding it hard to show they're true feelings.

I finally got to see Tanya Manalang as Kim and she was amazing!!! what an Incredible little (literally, she's tiny) actress she is. She played Kim with so much vulnerability that you can't help but shed a tear or two (or several into a very well used tissue). I was particularly impressed with her acting in This Is The Hour
It was just so intense. She was visibly shaking with Tears streaming down her face. You just felt so concerned for her. I also really liked her voice. Yes it isn't quite as powerful as Eva's but there isn't much in it if I'm honest. I was also really nice to hear certain phrases of songs sung as they were originally written (e.g. Paper dragons in the sky). Although that's not to say I don't like the way Eva sing's those bits as I do, it's just nice to hear them as they were originally written. To contradict what I just said though She did a nice little riff at the end if I'd Give My Life For You which I liked, so who knows, I guess I'm just easily pleased. Overall I loved Tanya and wish I'd seen her a few more times in the role.


On to the evening Performance. I really didn't think the atmosphere for the matinee could be topped, just equalled but boy how wrong I was. The audience was amazing, with cheers for the end of each song getting louder and longer as the show went on. The roar at the end of "Bui Doi" was insane!!

Everyone who performed at the matinee equalled if not bettered they're performance in the evening show. It was incredible to watch!

Siobhan Dillon was excellent as Ellen. Her Maybe was flawless!

Eva was just as great if not better than the last two times I saw her. Her voice was so strong at this performance. She has some belt doesn't she?! You could tell she put her all into ever song.

It was really Interesting compering Tanya and Eva's acting choices as they both play the role quite differently. I really liked how they both acted the role, but for me Tanya wins on the acting side of things, with Eva not quite having the same acting ability that Tanya has. Not to Say Eva's Acting was bad, just different from Tanya's and I preferred Tanya's. Eva's acting was still really good though. Saying that though Eva done have a stronger voice than Tanya if only by a little bit, so I would say she wins on the vocal front (just). I've been trying to pick a favourite ever since seeing them both last Saturday, and I really can't. There both equally amazing in different ways!!

Jon Jon was Incredible again, giving a Master Class performance, and given he'd been too ill to do the matinee. I don't think it showed one bit just incredible!!

And if all that wasn't enough having Cameron Mackintosh, Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg come out at the end and do speeches was fantastic! Just being in the presence of those three great men was amazing!! And the 25th anniversary gala in cinemas in the Autumn WOOOOO!!!!!!

The day was rounded off nicely with a visit to the stage which was insane as I expected, with over half the length of the street full of people. I luckily managed to get to the front so got the talk to the cast and thank them when they came out which was a really nice way to end the night.

It was an amazing atmosphere at stage door as well. Before any of the actors came out quite a few cast members started randomly poking they're heads out the various small windows above stage door. This would then be followed by a huge cheer from the street below. This went on for a good 10-15 minutes. The funniest case of this happening was when Hugh Maynard poked his head out one of them and said. "Do you guys want to meet my dance partner?" to which we all replied "yes". He then pops his head back in and a second later Cameron Mackintosh's pops his head out and says "Hiiii" - hilarious!

Overall it was an Incredible day and probably the greatest theatre experience I've had so far and one that will live with me for a very long time!!!

I'm really going to miss Saigon (sorry couldn't resist). Why god why (I'm on a roll) did it have to leave the west end this soon. 2017 can't come soon enough I will be seeing this show a lot when it tours. If we're lucky maybe we can have Tanya as lead on tour since Eva's off to Broadway, or is that Just wishful thinking?

Anyway I better stop typing because this has taken far too long to write and I should go to bed. zzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzzz

Indeed it was, and the whole raked stage just took it to another level too

We do not understand what you mean by 'non-literal'? It could be shot in the Philippines, which means every extra could be a great singer.