Back in November Michael Harrison announced a forthcoming “major, major musical for the North East” that would open at the Theatre Royal before heading off on a mammoth tour.
It was to be a new production of Miss Saigon from the Tyneside-born producer – himself now a major, major figure in the entertainment world – in association with Sir Cameron Mackintosh.
Directed by Jean-Pierre van der Spuy, it will open with an extended run in Newcastle, from October 4 to 25, after some final tweaking and preparation at the Theatre Royal.
And now comes news of the wonderfully eclectic cast, all ready to give their all to the celebrated creation of Claude-Michel Schönberg (music) and Alain Boublil (lyrics).
Michael Harrison, left, with Sir Cameron Mackintosh
The flamboyant Seann Miley Moore, who competed on The X Factor in 2015, will be no stranger to the role of The Engineer, having played the part in a 2023 production of the show in Australia, the Philippines, Taiwan and Singapore.
It earned the Filipino-Australian actor the critics’ choice award for best performance in a musical at the inaugural Time Out Sydney Arts & Culture Awards.
Playing Kim will be Julianne Pundan, a recent graduate of The BRIT School, in Croydon, who will be making her professional debut.
Jack Kane, who has appeared in Dragonheart Vengeance opposite Helena Bonham Carter and Years And Years with Rory Kinnear and Emma Thompson, will play Chris.
Julianne Pundan and Jack Kane
Dom Hartley-Harris, who recently appeared in the West End as George Washington in Hamilton and on tour as Curtis Taylor Jr. in Dreamgirls, is cast as John while Emily Langham, whose credits include Singin’ in the Rain, Hello, Dolly! and The Witches, is to play Ellen.
Mikko Juan, seen on TV as Hula in Better Things, is to play Thuy and Gigi will be played by Ace, the one-time busker who reached the semi-finals of BBC 1’s The Voice in 2024.
Dom Hartley-Harris and Emily Langham
Making up the cast will be Bea Ward, Aaron Teoh, Jamil Abbasi, Aaron Aisoni, Daniel J Brian, Ann-Marie Craine, Ben Fenwick, Aaron Gonzales, Owen Johnston, Evita Khrime, Caleb Lagayan, Rayhan Lee, James Mateo-Salt, Shania Montevalde, Ryan Ocampo, Julius Sahr, Tonny Shim, Anh Koha Trần, Yiling Yang, Aimee Yue and Carmen Zhu.
The producers have announced new tour venues for 2026 and say they are already scheduling return visits to cities where tickets are selling fast.
Sir Cameron Mackintosh said: “Since we first announced this new production, I have been genuinely delighted at the enthusiasm of the public determined not to miss Saigon, with tickets flying out of the box office and several of the announced cities already nearly sold out.
“We have now completed our search for a really fantastic cast, full of exciting discoveries, that will bring Boublil and Schönberg’s extraordinary, powerful musical back to thrilling life.
“I can’t wait to see Miss Saigon reborn again.”
The story is set in the last days of the Vietnam War when 17-year-old Kim, forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as The Engineer, meets and falls in love with Chris, an American GI.
They are torn apart by the fall of Saigon and for three years, Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son.
Miss Saigon poster with iconic imagery
Following its London premiere in 1989, Cameron Mackintosh’s original production of the musical became one of the most successful in history.
His latest London production opened in May 2014 after record advance sales and was followed by a UK tour in 2017.
The show, boast the producers,has been staged in 378 cities in 33 countries and in 15 languages. It has won 75 major awards and been seen by over 38 million people… and counting.
