Miss Saigon Wows Audiences At GOH

Miss Saigon is a musical by Claude-Michel Schönberg & Alain Boubil. Set in the Vietnam war, it centres on the lives of a soldier and the local girl he falls in love with, a tale filled with tragedy and beautifully brought to life by an amazingly talented group of teenagers.

Niamh McAuley and Nathan Johnston, both 16 years old, had the most amazing chemistry as they sang through the heartbreaking story of Kim and Chris. Johnston showed off his talents particularly in ‘Why God Why?’ which was not only expertly sang but wonderfully acted throughout. Niamh McAuley really took the show to a new level, every moment she was on stage was a highlight, a young person taking on such a complex character can’t be an easy task but she was stunning. The emotion she showed during ‘You Will Not Touch Him’ and the tearful ending was on parr with any professional who has played the role, her voice was strong and her relationship with Tam (played adorably by Thea Marshal) was so believable even at such a young age.

Another highlight of the show was certainly Conor O’Brien as The Engineer, he was hilarious, the perfect amount of over-the-top to add a touch of comedy to such a sad show. ‘The American Dream’ had the audience in stitches. He really owned the stage and brought his own charm and personality to the character.

Every second of rehearsal certainly paid off, the entire cast was unbelievable, Louis Fitzpatrick opened Act 2 with the somber ‘Bui Doi’ and he was magnificent. Làra Mulgrew voice had the audience in awe and Holly Topping was astonishing. Harry Blaney was terrifying as Thuy, he was unbelievably talented with such a commanding voice which made the audience hate him in the right way.

I couldn’t end the review without mentioning the incredible ensemble who brought every scene to life, performing Rebecca Leonard’s great choreography with ease. ‘Kim’s Nightmare’ was particularly impressive, everyone’s acting was perfect and heartbreaking, every single person on stage did an amazing Job. A special shout out has to go to Vyce Workshop and Scenic Projects for that set and the huge helicopter that descended on stage, it blew me away and took the show to a whole new level.

I also have to shout out the orchestra and technical crew, also led by teenagers, the professionalism was unbelievable and every second of the show was stunning.

I thoroughly enjoyed seeing Miss Saigon and would definitely recommend it to anyone who is a fan of the musical, or who has never heard of it. Everything about this production was so well rehearsed and put together, the cast were amazingly talented and the show really took my breath away.