Miss Saigon

Cameron Mackintosh’s acclaimed revival production of Boublil and Schönberg’s epic love story, Miss Saigon, has cemented itself as one of the classics. Seen by an audience of 38 million worldwide, this production comes straight from the West End and Broadway to Her Majesty’s Theatre in Melbourne. Originally inspired by Madama Butterfly, Giacomo Puccini’s 1904 opera, Miss Saigon is a theatrical experience you won’t soon forget.

Miss Saigon tells the story of Kim (Abigail Adriano), a Vietnamese girl orphaned by war and forced to work in a bar and brothel run by the notorious character known as the Engineer (Seann Miley Moore). There she meets an American marine named Chris (Nigel Huckle) and the two quickly fall passionately in love. But like Romeo and Juliet, they’re soon torn apart, this time by the fall of Saigon. Three years later, Kim has survived, biding her time, fuelled by the belief that Chris will return for her. As fate places her on the same path as the Engineer once more, it sets off a chain of events that leads to the lovers’ tragic reunion.

The sensational Australian cast are led by Adriano and Moore, with an honourable mention going to Kimberley Hodgson who plays Gigi and delivers a highlight moment with her rendition of ‘Movie in my Mind’.

Making her debut, the young Adriano is incredibly talented. Taking the role of Kim from naïve, lovesick child to a mother ferociously fighting for a better life, Adriano’s performance is flawless. She accesses Kim’s passion and pain in a way that makes the audience feel it in their core, and leaves them utterly devastating when she makes the ultimate sacrifice for her son.

If you’re not completely consumed by the star-crossed lovers, you’ll realise that the real story is that of the Engineer. As this was my first time seeing a production of Miss Saigon, I’m unsure how the role was originally portrayed. But it doesn’t matter, because this is the portrayal that will define any future viewing. Moore completely embodied the Engineer, unabashedly filling the theatre with their showmanship and presence. The Engineer is a cockroach: he can survive anything. A coward with allegiances to no one, he’s a man who unapologetically uses anyone around him to get what he wants. Yet Moore’s magnetic performance somehow makes you sympathise with this desperate character.

The stage and sets were also impressive. There’s a key moment in the second act that I won’t spoil, because its impact is heartbreakingly and uncomfortably real, particularly given the state of the world right now. All in all, this is a fantastic production that musical fanatics won’t want to miss. A story of love, loss, sacrifice and survival, Miss Saigon is a memorable night out in Melbourne.

Miss Saigon runs until December 16th at Her Majesty’s Theatre