Miss Saigon At The New Theatre Oxford Review

DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW

Reviewed by Joanna Woodburn

With much anticipation, Michael Harrison, in association with Cameron Mackintosh, have revived one of the world’s most iconic and celebrated musicals, Miss Saigon and the spectacular production is currently showing at the historic New Theatre, Oxford. First premiering in London in 1989 and then transferring to Broadway where it ran for ten years, Boublil and Schonberg’s Miss Saigon is one of theatre’s most acclaimed and legendary musicals.

Miss Saigon has to be the biggest, most spectacular show currently on tour and offers the perfect way to celebrate the season and close out the year. For the revival, the creative team have strived to completely reshape and update the show with sensitivity, whilst also seeking to be true to the spirit of the classic original story and it is an epic world class achievement.

Directed by Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy, Miss Saigon tells the tragic love story of a young 17-year-old Vietnamese girl, Kim, who falls into desperate times when her village is destroyed during the war and she loses her family. Kim is forced to work in a bar, owned by The Engineer, where she meets GI Chris, an American marine who is determined to save her from destitution. With the fall of Saigon, Kim and Chris are heart-breakingly separated and Kim gives birth to their baby alone and then resiliently vows to reunite her son with Chris in America.

At the centre of this brilliant production, Julianne Pundan is the beating heart of the show and truly stunning as Kim. She gives a mesmerising performance, with pure and exquisite vocals as she ploughs her character’s emotional depths with dignity and delicacy. Jack Kane excels as the endearing Chris, and there is a real warmth in his portrayal which enables him to bring out the emotional content in his songs with his exceptional vocals. Seann Miley Moore gives a highly entertaining performance as the sleazy Engineer, with an amazingly flamboyant and versatile stage presence and brilliant voice.

The whole production is exceptional and faultless from start to finish, with powerful musical storytelling elevated by the soaring score, which includes some of the finest musical songs ever written. The exceptionally talented ensemble cast are superb, with many pivotal stand out moments, including the absolutely showstopping ‘The American Dream’ number, which is sensational.

Andrew D. Edward’s towering, revolving stage set is genius, immersing the audience with quick transformations, from gritty neon-lit bar scenes to more scaled back moments and then to the iconic helicopter scene, which is simply breath-taking! With great attention to detail, the physicality of the set is visually brilliant and the smooth, fast paced shifts and transitions add greatly to the overall momentum and constant narrative of the show, the overall relentless pace and impact never gives up.

The legendary musical Miss Saigon has been reborn! A show full of heart, compassion and humanity – I would urge you to experience the magic for yourself at The New Theatre, Oxford.

A special mention to Samantha Reese Camiguing who played the child part of Tam to perfection, very well done.

Rating: 5/5

Miss Saigon at The New Theatre, Oxford, runs from Tuesday 16th December 2025 to Saturday 3rd January 2026, for more information or to book tickets please visit Miss Saigon Tickets | New Theatre Oxford in Oxford | ATG Tickets