REVIEW: Epic production of Miss Saigon thrills north west audiences
Musical Theatre is sometimes looked down upon as the frivolous cousin of 'The Arts' family.
It can be regarded as not carrying as much weight or heft as its big brother 'The Stage Play' or older sister 'The Novel'; all puff and popcorn and jazz hands with not much of a message to impart.
Miss Saigon is one musical theatre production which completely contradicts that notion. Tackling themes of politics, war and racism, Miss Saigon sets the story of Madame Butterfly during the Vietnam War of the 1970s.
In the last days of the Vietnam War, 17-year-old Kim is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as The Engineer. There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris but the fall of Saigon tears them apart.
For three years, Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris - who has no idea he has fathered a son. As part of the latest UK tour of Miss Saigon, the Millennium Forum threw open its doors to the FOURTEEN trucks of set required to stage this epic production.
And EPIC, it was!
I can't remember the last time I saw the wonderful Millennium Forum stage used to such effect - its height allowing for a two-storey performance space to portray everything from seedy downtown Saigon with its fume-spewing manholes to bustling Bangkok, to the moonlit romance of Chris and Kim (complete with lotus blossoms and fireflies - just stunning), to the perilous ocean as desperate Vietnamese refugees risked death at sea to escape the horrors of war, scenes of bombings and explosions and, of course, the incredible helicopter evacuation scene.
The choreography of the entire show was exceptional; the military precision of the Vietnamese soldiers was jaw-dropping. ‘The Morning of the Dragon’ was utterly incredible! The success of any piece lies in the detail and nothing was overlooked. One small but hugely effective example of this - folding the USA flag exactly in time with the music during a funeral scene.
But it wasn't all about the insanely brilliant staging, the hugely hard working cast had the Derry audience on its feet with their fabulous characterisations.
A clear audience favourite was Seann Miley Moore as the crude, comic, crass Engineer. His 100mph energy was amazing with no innuendo left unused!
Julianne Pundan, as Kim (hard to believe this was her first professional outing!) and Jack Kane as Chris were powerful performers, beautifully portraying the fragility of their love in a volatile world.
Catching my eye in the other roles were Thao Therese Nguyen as Gigi who gave a stunning rendition of The Movie in my Mind and Mikko Juan as Thuy who brought menacing power and great stage presence (not to mention a fabulous voice) to his performance.
For me the stand out performance was Dom Hartley Harris as Sgt John, the US soldier who tries to track down the children of GIs left behind in Vietnam.
His performance of the staggeringly heartrending Bui Doi was my highlight of the night. This scene is usually staged in a conference hall with Sgt John at a podium addressing a crowd, as befitting an 'anthem' like Bui Doi.
However, this production stripped it all back, setting the song in a small, dingy Vietnam Vets’ support group where John passed out leaflets to apathetic comrades. The ordinariness of the surroundings amplified the lyrics which ring as true today as in 1970s Vietnam: "They're called Bui-Doi, The dust of life, Conceived in Hell, And born in strife". Sometimes there is power in the ordinary.
The power and passion of Hartley Harris' incredible voice, joined by his colleagues, was spine-tingling and left us with a salient reminder of the children in modern day war zones who are suffering because their "only crime was being born".
Miss Saigon performs at the Millennium Forum until Saturday May 30. Tickets are now on sale at the Box Office. Telephone 02871 264455 (option 1) or visit millenniumforum.co.uk for bookings.