Review: Miss Saigon, UK Tour, at the Liverpool Empire

It seems cathartic that I am writing this on 30th April 2026; the 51st anniversary of the fall of Saigon. Because, since October last year, Miss Saigon, the great love story set during the final days and aftermath of the Vietnam War, has been touring across the United Kingdom in a brand new production, ahead of a West End return to the Prince Edward Theatre (once Beetlejuice has finished playing its limited haunt). Bar the 2023 Sheffield produciton, this is the first time Miss Saigon has returned across the UK since the last UK tour.

If you're not familiar with this great love story, it follows Vietnamese girl Kim and America GI Chris, who meet, fall in love, and are torn apart by the end of the war

This new production is directed by Jean-Pierre Van der Spuy, who has been in Cameron Mackintosh's directing team for a while, including for the Les Mis tour, and his take stands out compared to the Lawrence Connor directed West End revival over a decade ago (has it been that long...?!). You feel this more in the creative way he tells this love story. 

With the advancements in video technology, and this starting out as a tour, it is perhaps no surprise that video is used to great effect. Lighting designer Bruno Poet, Projection designer George Reeve and their teams, pull us in from the start, setting the scene of a country at war, packing the punch from the get go. A square piece of Andrew D Edward's set pulls out, revolves and makes the space more intimate and claustrophobic, despite playing in the large Liverpool Empire. Saigon is tense, chaotic, desperate and full of horror. 

The lyric: "It's not you, It's War that's cruel" is the centre of this production

From lyric changes to acting choices and staging changes, this production walks the fine line with giving us the sweeping love story and the stunning music we know and love, as well as the brutality of war, including PTSD. 

A staging change I loved was during Ellen's lines in I Sill Believe, with Ellen watching her husband crumble at a flag ceremony, while Bui Doi is now sung as John leads a veteran's support group. It's small things, but they do make the story have more care and courage, being more grounded, and sadly, making the outcome even more sudden and tragic. 

This cast also breathes new life into Miss Saigon, in some ways, that we haven't seen before

The perfect example of this is Sean Miley Moore as The Engineer. They have infused what is a very masculine character with queer energy without sacrificing the manipulative and more threatening parts of the character. They play around a lot more especially vocally, switching pitches from line to line sometimes. They're camp and menacing in one, feeling at points like Cabaret's Emcee. It's a very fresh take, walking a tightrope between both funny and extravagant in their fantasies about the American Dream, and also ready to hold a knife to your throat when their ambitions are compromised. 

Julianne Pundan is making her professional debut playing Kim, one of the biggest roles in musical theatre. Her voice is as clear as a bell, with a fierce inner strength in her. You truly believe that she is a 17 year old girl in the opening scene, becoming a woman who will do anything to offer her son the life he deserves. 

In the supporting cast, Dominic Hartley-Harris (RENT) was perfectly cast as John, Bui Doi coming out of him effortlessly. Also making his musical theatre debut, I loved the more grungy rock tone Jack Kane had in his voice for Chris, and Emily Langham (West Side Story) brought a grounded presence and a calmness to Ellen, a juxtaposition for her trying to make sense of everything she thought she knew crumbling around her. 

With war seemingly never ending, Miss Saigon feels more prevalent than ever

This show has had its controversy, yes. However, while this show is of course not perfect, I have noticed how much care is taken into this production to show us the understanding of the time, and how important this story is to so many people for so many reasons. 

It makes Miss Saigon as important and devistating viewing as ever. 

The UK tour plays in Liverpool until 2nd May, and then continues across the country, ending with a return to Manchester in August. It will then return to the Prince Edward Theatre in London in May 2027.