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The hauntingly beautiful show, Miss Saigon, returns to the Manchester Palace Theatre stage. Adapted from Boublil’s original text and with music from Claude-Michel Shönberg, Miss Saigon: A Legend Reborn, showcases incredible new talent and epic storytelling in the form of a musical. The show is an unforgettable experience from start to finish.
Miss Saigon begins through a screen, the music gentle at first, and you see the actors behind in traditional Vietnamese clothing tending to their rice crops, but chaos quickly descends. Silhouettes of bombs dropping, helicopters hovering, and people fleeing fill the screen as the stage is revealed and a cacophony of noise erupts from the orchestra pit.
Miss Saigon at the Palace Theatre
Miss Saigon, The Legend Reborn, follows the life of Kim, a young Vietnamese girl who lost her family and their home during the Vietnam War. Arriving in Saigon with nothing but her innocence and a photograph of her parents, Kim quickly becomes wrapped up in the shady underbelly of Saigon’s bar scene and is taken under the wing of American-loving entrepreneur, The Engineer.
This is a professional debut for Brit School graduate Julianne Pundan, who plays Kim, but she oozes confidence and professionalism in this role, with her singing reducing even grown men in the audience to tears. Her co-stars are no strangers to the stage or screen, though, with award-winning Seann Miley Moore, who you might recognise from The X Factor, playing The Engineer and actor, singer and musician Jack Kane as Chris.
On her first night under The Engineer’s careful eye, Kim meets Chris, an American GI stationed in Vietnam during the war. The soldiers like to frequent the bars to get a taste of the local delicacies, spending their evenings partaking in drink and drug-fuelled nights surrounded by women to try and erase their memories of the horrors of war. But it’s not all neon rainbows in the nightlife scene either, as Kim, Gigi and the rest of the girls in the club sing ‘The Movie In My Mind’, the stage twists and turns like a churning stomach, highlighting the way these women were being used and abused.
Jack Kane as Chris
Chris, played by Jack Kane, isn’t interested in any of the other girls in the club, despite The Engineer’s efforts to display his finest ladies, even crowning the gorgeous Gigi ‘Miss Saigon’ and presenting her as a prize to the highest bidder. He only has eyes for Kim, even though it’s her first night in the club, and her first night with a man. While the other males in the club leer and jeer at the women, Chris is gentle with Kim, promising her a new life in America as they share the night together, falling in love under the moon and stars.
One of the most striking things about this show is the set and how it’s staged. From the opening scene with the screen, to the way the spotlights cast a warm hue over the cast’s faces to signify the sunrise, and how certain scenes are able to blend beauty and brutality together brilliantly, it’s a masterclass in stage production. A stunning backdrop to their love story, the rear wall of the stage changes from hand-painted scenery to sparkling stars that light up the night sky, to a soft golden glow which seems to spotlight Julianne as if the sun was shining just for her throughout the show.
As the war rages on, Kim and Chris become separated. An epic scene of destruction and desperation unfolds on stage, the harrowing cries of the Vietnamese people left behind in the wake of the collapse of the country they once knew, and the dreams they had of going to America for a new life, are shattered by the sound of helicopters. Jack and Julianne navigate this scene together expertly, so close they could almost touch, but always just out of reach as the Fall Of Saigon plays out around them.
“Certain scenes are able to blend beauty and brutality together brilliantly, it’s a masterclass in stage production”
Miss Saigon is a beautifully heartbreaking musical. While the show is centred around the war and the tale of two people in love, with some haunting scenes, one of the standout performances of the evening came from Seann Miley Moore. The Engineer is desperate for his taste of the good life in America, willing to do whatever it takes to get there, their cheeky persona toes the line of creepy pimp and campy cowboy. Offering light relief during tense moments, Seann embodies the character brilliantly, and their rendition of The American Dream had audience members on their feet during the unexpectedly lighthearted pop-star worthy performance. Their ability to merge masculine and feminine energy and their chameleon-like way of blending into each scene to become the perfect character required for each is impeccable.
The show runs from the 4th of November and runs until Saturday, 15th November; however, due to demand, this incredible production of Miss Saigon will be returning to the Manchester Palace Theatre next year for a week long run in August. Be prepared to bring tissues and leave all preconceived notions about this show at the door and be ready for it to blow you away.
Tickets for Miss Saigon at the Palace Theatre
You can grab your tickets for the 2026 dates from 12pm today (Friday 14th November)
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