Miss Saigon – Review – Hull New Theatre

By Karl Hornsey, January 2026

Having seen Miss Saigon in the West End as far back as 1990, there was no doubt that I had to see the ‘Legend Reborn’ – as the tagline goes – on its arrival in Hull. That viewing at an impressionable age piqued an interest in the Vietnam War, Nixon, Watergate, Kennedy and modern American politics that lasts to this day, and demonstrated the power of seeing the right production at the right time.

Whether today’s audience will have the same takeaway, I couldn’t say, but anyone lucky enough to have a ticket for the ‘new’ Miss Saigon is in for an incredible evening. This delivers the same emotional punches that it did all those years ago, taking the tragic tale of Madama Butterfly and relocating it to Vietnam, Atlanta and Bangkok in the mid to late 70s.

It’s no secret to say that this is a heartrending tale, telling the story of the final days of the ill-fated Vietnam War, as Saigon falls and most of the remaining American military prepare to leave a country that would take decades to recover. Amidst the tragedy, this is a love story, between 17-year-old bargirl Kim and American Marine Chris, whose chance meeting in a seedy bar changes their lives forever. And it’s in that bar that the action begins; noisy, frenetic and chaotic, orchestrated by The Engineer, a hustler for whom everything has a price.

“Showstopping songs”

Seann Miley Moore is astonishing in the role of The Engineer, which has been elevated to top billing for this production, and whose character brings out the ‘showtime’ elements of the story, which have been brought to the forefront, having taken a less prominent role in the original. Jack Kane plays the challenging role of Chris and makes him thoroughly believable, portraying the helplessness of falling instantly in love, but also the aftermath of leaving for America and being torn between his old life and the new one he forges.

But it’s to Julianne Pundan, in her professional debut as Kim, that most of my plaudits go. Hers is the most tragic character of all, and Pundan is incredible, with a flawless and powerful voice that does full justice to the fabulous selection of showstopping songs, while also nailing all of the most emotional scenes in the story.

And, as for those songs, they play a huge part in the first act in particular, cutting through the chaos of Saigon with quieter, poignant moments in the likes of ‘Why God Why?’, ‘Sun and Moon’, and ‘The Last Night of the World’. The original production broke all manner of box-office records and was on a spectacular scale which has been, by necessity, reined in a little to take the show on tour, but it’s still a hugely grand offering, especially in the harrowing final journey away from Vietnam for Chris and his fellow Marines.

“Extravagant”

The close of act one and the start of act two move the story on three years to Atlanta and, largely, Bangkok, as connections are reformed and the full repercussions of those final days in Saigon are uncovered and played out.

This sets the scene for the largest and most extravagant of all the setpieces, as The Engineer looks forward to the ‘American Dream’, in a showstopper that has to be seen to be believed, with the remarkable Miley Moore front and centre. My only quibble, and it’s a major one, comes from this scene, which then overshadows what follows, with the final drama of the performance feeling a little tagged on at the end, in contrast to what has just come before. The intention to create a more rounded ‘show’ is clear, but in this case it felt a little too much, despite its astonishing grandeur.

This is the sort of major production that Hull New Theatre can now take in its stride and it’s a true pleasure that something on the scale of Miss Saigon is out on tour and in Yorkshire, including a run in Bradford at the start of May. As far as theatre goes, this is unmissable.

Miss Saigon is at Hull New Theatre until 24th January
images: Danny Kaan

Karl Hornsey( Writer )

Karl’s love of writing was piqued at the age of eight, when he won a Blue Peter badge in an essay-writing competition. The location of said badge might be a mystery now, but the memory never fades. Hours spent writing about sport as a teenager, in pre-internet years when you had to make your entertainment, honed his skills, and Karl has worked in TV and radio listings at PA Media for 28 years, and the age of hybrid working means 50% of that can be at home listening to Classic FM and thinking about his next visit to his beloved Yorkshire Dales.
@KarlHornsey, hornskar

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