Miss Saigon was pure entertainment from the very start to the finish. A phenomenal and unforgettable performance from all of the cast and one that I will not forget. The show is unmissable.
The story showed the life and clear exploitation of women during the war and what was expected of them, but also the lengths a mother would go through to protect her child and it was inspiring to see.
I witnessed flawless acting by Sooha Kim as the lead female role, Kim, as well as Ashley Gilmour playing Chris, Red Concepcion playing the very entertaining and interactive role of the engineer, Gerald Santos as Thuy and Ryan O’Gorman as John, they worked together to create a wonderful evening with what was and a brilliant show.
The vocals and singing from all of the cast was very powerful and musically this was a glorious performance, with the ballad, The Movie In My Mind, the most moving as it portrayed how desperately the citizens of Saigon wanted to escape and live the American Dream (which was shown in one of the musical’s show-stopping scenes) as associated with freedom, thrill and, particularly, wealth.
I feel that the show showed the war as being the background and the story of love was more of the theme. I understand by what was shown in the show that the war did impact the lives of the characters greatly. However, I feel that the story of love between Kim and Chris, and Kim protecting her son regardless of what she had to do was much greater.
The set design was visually stunning and really set the scene for the Dreamland bar and Kim’s village while the helicopter evacuation scene was spectacular and really felt as if it was actually in the auditorium
I will definitely be attending this production again when it returns to Cardiff. Until January 6, 2018
https://www.wmc.org.uk/Productions/2017-2018/DonaldGordonTheatre/MissSaigon17/
Sanaz Safari is a member of the Cardiff West Community High School Stage and Screen group which is supported by Wales Critics Fund