Broadway hit Miss Saigon to return to Capital

Miss Saigon starring Eva Noblezada as Kim and Kwang-Ho Hong as Thuy

Sir Cameron Mackintosh has announced that his acclaimed new production of Boublil and Schönberg’s legendary musical will come to the Festival Theatre as part of a major UK tour.

Revealing his plans, Sir Cameron said: “It’s hard to believe it has been more than 25 years since Miss Saigon first opened but, if anything, the tragic love story of the show has become even more relevant today. This new production, directed by Laurence Connor, takes a grittier, more realistic approach than the original, while still delivering the power and epic sweep of Boublil and Schönberg’s tremendous score.”

The producer of other top musicals such as Les Miserables, Mary Poppins and Oliver! added: “Of all my shows, Miss Saigon is the one that I have received the most requests from the public to bring back.”

Miss Saigon tells the story of a young bar girl named Kim, orphaned by war, who falls in love with Chris, an American GI – but their lives are torn apart by the fall of Saigon.

“I am thrilled that audiences around the UK will get to see this tremendous new production that audiences and critics in London have embraced since it opened in 2014,” added Sir Cameron.

Since premiering in 1989, the musical has been performed in 28 countries and in 15 different languages, and has won more than 40 awards and been seen by over 35 million people worldwide.

It last played the Capital nearly a decade ago and comes to the Festival Theatre from January 17 to February 17, 2018. Tickets go on sale on November 7 from www.edtheatres.com.

Miss Saigon is just one of three big shows heading to the city in the coming months.

Yesterday, it was announced that singing sensation and X Factor favourite Joe McElderry is once again to wear the world’s most famous coat when the UK’s longest-running musical, Joseph and the Amazing Technicolored Dreamcoat, returns to the Playhouse from March 14-18, 2017.

Joe’s 2015 debut in the show, which retells the biblical story of Joseph, his 11 brothers and the coat of many colours, was met with standing ovations.

Another familiar face city-bound in the new year is ex-Coronation Street star Wendi Peters, best remembered as Cilla Battersby-Brown.

Wendi, who last toured here in White Christmas in 2014, will be joined by West End stars Dave Willets and Kerry Ellis in Wonderland, also at the Playhouse.

Wendi will star as the Queen of Hearts in the touching story of love in all its forms and the adventurous exploration of who we are, who we want to be, and the power of everyday magic in our lives.

Wonderland has enjoyed sell-out seasons in Tampa, Texas and Tokyo, and receives its UK premiere in the Capital from January 20-28, 2017. Tickets are on sale now.