Miss Saigon

Playing at the Prince Edward Theatre, Miss Saigon follows the life of one seventeen year old girl whose village and family were destroyed during the Vietnam war. After being brought to work for the Engineer, a sleazy Saigon bar manager, she meets Chris, an American GI and the two soon fall in love.

From the team behind Les Miserables, Miss Saigon returns to the West End 25 years after its first appearance in 1989 with Lea Salonga as Kim.

Eva Noblezada, is a fresh faced American actress who makes her debut in this production, very much mirroring the choice for the original Kim. She beautifully portrays youthful innocence yet as the show progresses she grows stronger in her character. Her voice shows just how young she is but this works in her favour as she does not struggle much emotion she puts behind every word.

The Engineer provides the comic relief for this show. The greasy bar owner who pimps out Vietnamese girls to American GIs. The Engineer is obsessed with the 'American dream' and will try at all costs to make his way to America. Played by Jon Jon Briones, his big song The American dream is highly entertaining to watch as he is so disillusioned by the glitz and glamour of his dream.

American GI, Chris, played by Alistair Brammer  often appeared quite reserved in his emotions unless it was anger. Luckily for Brammer he had enough opportunities to act out his anger, most spectacular being while he sang Why God Why? where he starts to realise there is more to Saigon than the war. Without spoiling the plot, there is a certain point at the end of the show where his reaction was not strong enough and needed a lot more power.

Chris' GI friend, John played by, Hugh Maynard is not particularly likable in the first act. John opens the second act with Bui Doi, a song informing an audience of the children affected by a war torn Vietnam. Maynard's take on the song is stunningly chilling and really conveying his pain. This completely redeemed his character from act one.

Another bar girl, Gigi played by Rachelle Ann Go deserves to be acknowledged for her solo in the song The Movie in my Mind. Before seeing Miss Saigon this was a name that was circling around due to the sheer talent in this woman's voice and every word is completely justifiable. An absolutely sensational performance!

Once again Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel SchÖnberg team up to create music and lyrics that are simply unforgettable and completely flawless. The choreography is absolutely exquisite too.

Just a wholehearted performance from all the cast and crew!


Click here to get your tickets now!

Jonah and Otto

In typical Robert Holman fashion, Jonah and Otto tells the story of two strangers, from different generations, who form an unlikely bond. Each seems to be compensating for a family member they wished to have in their lives. 

Old clergyman, Otto and young father, Jonah meet one day on the East Sussex Coast when the younger catches the old man feeling the walls of the coast's public park. Jonah then attempts to steal money from Otto, holding a knife to his neck. The two then spend the day together discussing matter of family, love and lust. 

Holman is clearly aware of the basic needs of the human psyche and society's need to pry into the lives of others. Perhaps this is what makes the play so fascinating to watch since the play invites audiences to intrude into the inner most thoughts of these two men.

The relationship between the two is quite ambiguous. Otto appears to be trying to find his faith again by becoming a fatherly figure to Jonah, as if to say if he is capable of finding love then he is worthy of God's love too. Likewise, Jonah finds himself unable to resist opening up to Otto in a way a son might speak to his own father. 

Peter Egan, played Otto as a  tired and frail old man. Losing hope and with countless regrets, he projects his lost youthful desires onto Jonah. 

Alex Waldmann, gave a captivating performance as Jonah. A troubled young man, managing to cross every emotion in the short time span of this play. Around Otto he was angry and childlike but when he was taking care of his six week old daughter, he went under a complete transformation. 

Jonah was a very relatable character for the younger generation. In a post university life, he faces the struggles of instability of finding his way in the 'real world'. 

Although at times the power battle between the two simply resulted in frustrated cussing, it was incredibly interesting to see how two strangers could find the right words to say to bring the other to confess their deepest, most secret thoughts. 

Playing until November 23rd 2014. 

Click here to get your tickets now!

Theatreland's Walking Tours

For someone who is so keen on the ins an outs of the theatrical world, the one thing I have still to do is one of SOLT and Secret London Walks's Walking Tours.

This tour takes you around the streets of London from Soho to the Strand and lets you in on the secrets of the theaters. Combining the old with the new, the tour guides know all the history behind the theatres and all the facts about the current shows playing. 

Normally these tours take place on a few Sundays during England's warmer months. However wrap up warm as Theatreland tours are back and this time you'll be looking over your shoulder every step of the way... 

On every Sunday from the 26th October to the 7th December at 6pm from a Central London location you can join the Haunted Theatreland tour. You'll never look at Theatreland the same way again as you creep down back alleys and learn the horrible histories and gruesome ghost stories of the West End. 

At only £10 a ticket it seems like the perfect Halloween outing!

Click here for more information!