Miss Saigon – Review – Bradford Alhambra
By Steve Crabtree, May 2026
As someone who’s been to hundreds of musicals, I’m a little ashamed to say that a show as massive as Miss Saigon has completely passed me by. Even more shameful is I’ve known the name, recognised the logo, but I’d managed to reach 2026 without knowing the slightest thing about the story.
I’m not sure how I’ve done it. But, when I heard it was heading to Bradford’s Alhambra, I knew it was finally time to see what all the fuss was about.
And now I come to write about it, my earlier shame is ten-fold…
“Packed with action”
We got in the theatre pretty soon after the doors opened and, with plenty already in, the foyer was surprisingly loud. Usually, there’s a nice hum, but tonight the bar and the stalls were quite noisy. Maybe it was the mix of long-time fans and newcomers like me, I have no idea – but as I sat down and as the curtain rose, I quickly realised why everyone was so fired up.
This wasn’t a slow-burner. Miss Saigon is a production packed with action, life, and heavy doses of tension and emotion.
“Flamboyant, cynical, fun, camp and crazy”
The intro brings you a booming start, and I was struck by the scale of what we had up on that stage. The scenery is something else: a rotating floor and rooms that spin into place to change the setting before you have time to blink. One minute we’re in the heat of a gritty Saigon club, the next we’re swept away to the neon-drenched chaos of Bangkok. It’s clever, fast-moving, and if I’m honest – a world away from the story I was kind of expecting.
While the spectacle is huge, the heart of the show is the cast. Jack Kane was fantastic as Chris. His performance of ‘Why, God, Why?’ was my favourite tune of the night. A moment full of conflict and delivered with a really raw vocal power. Really authentic.
Opposite him, Julianne Pundan as Kim was remarkable. You could feel her tension and vulnerability. And all the talk on the way out was about Seann Miley Moore as The Engineer. What a presence. What a show stealer. Flamboyant, cynical, fun, camp and crazy. He provided so much energy and contrast into the story, kept the pace moving, and the madness of ‘The American Dream’ was something that anyone who sees Miss Saigon will find hard to forget.
“The panic and the desperation”
The many numbers in Miss Saigon are an absolute treat. They’re clear, they tell the story, and you don’t get lost by them like I think you can in some musicals. I’ll especially mention ‘Sun and Moon’ between Chris and Kim – a really lovely song, and articulated perfectly.
Then there’s the helicopter. If you aren’t already wrapped up in the show, and the chaos of this scene, the sound of a helicopter flying over your head will get you. It’s so loud, and puts you right in the middle of the production. I honestly felt the panic and the desperation here, and when the scene ended I let out the breath that I’d been holding.
“A superb, incredible musical”
I wasn’t trying to work out the story as the show went along, and maybe I should have realised what was coming at the climax. But I didn’t, and I didn’t anticipate the ending. Such a powerful end to the production, and I have to say, the way that was handled by Pundan and Kane was exceptional. What a stunning way to wrap up the entire emotion of Miss Saigon.
By the time the final notes of the show rang out, the noisy pre-show crowd had been stunned into a collective, appreciative silence, followed by a roar of applause. It’s a superb, incredible musical that handles so many themes in a stunning way.
A week on from seeing the best version of Blood Brothers I’ve ever seen at the same theatre, I didn’t think I’d see anything to beat that musical this year. But Miss Saigon certainly trumped it and I’m so glad it finally caught up with me in Bradford, fifty years after the fall of Saigon. Not before time.
Miss Saigon continues its run at the Alhambra Theatre, Bradford, until 9th May.
Give Steve music, give him food, give him theatre, tech or travel… and he’s a happy man. He’s been writing professionally since 2003, turning to journalism in 2017 when it offered him the chance to enjoy a lot of his existing passions, and learn some new ones at the same time. Steve can be found spending many of his summer nights watching bands at The Piece Hall in his hometown of Halifax, or enjoying a bite to eat and a drink with his wife anywhere in Yorkshire at any time of year. Random fact: He does the best impression of Zippy and George from Rainbow that anyone has ever heard.
