Miss Saigon revival announces full casting

Complete casting has been revealed for the brand-new “reimagined production” of Miss Saigon, set to open at Sheffield Crucible this summer.

As already announced, Joanna Ampil (South Pacific) will play the Engineer in the reimagined take on the show. She will be joined, in alphabetical order, by Desmonda Cathabel as Mimi and Alternate Kim, Aynrand Ferrer as Gigi, Shanay Holmes as Ellen, Jessica Lee as Kim and Alternate Mimi, Ethan Le Phong as Thuy,  Christian Maynard as Chris, Emily Ooi as Yvonne and understudy Gigi, Shane O’Riordan as John, Ericka Posadas as Fifi and understudy The Engineer.

Making up the ensemble and GIs will be Adam Colbeck-Dunn as GI and understudy John, Andrew Davison as GI and ensemble, Oscar Kong as ensemble, Abel Law as ensemble, Lavinia Mai as ensemble, Patrick Munday as ensemble and understudy Thuy, Rachel Jayne Picar as ensemble, Aharon Rayner as GI and understudy Chris, Ernest Stroud as GI and ensemble, Rumi Sutton as ensemble and understudy Ellen, Callum Tempest as GI and ensemble, Danny Whelan as GI and ensemble, Riley Woodford as GI and ensemble, and Iverson Yabut as ensemble.

Following criticism from a selection of theatre companies (with one company pulling a production over the programming), the creative team and venue have issued two statements, addressing its problematic elements of the show and promising a reimagined take on the Boublil and Schonberg classic. Directors Robert Hastie and Anthony Lau said at the time: “A new approach is about shifting the perspective, how characters are viewed and choosing where to highlight and focus in on character arcs and narrative beats”.

Telling the story of a young girl, Kim, who falls in love with an American GI, the show has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg and lyrics by Richard Maltby Jnr and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French text by Alain Boublil with additional lyrics by Michael Mahler and orchestrations by William David Brohn. It was originally produced on the stage by Cameron Mackintosh.

The full creative team includes directors Hastie and Lau, designer Ben Stones, choreographer Jade Hackett, lighting designer Jessica Hung Han Yun, sound designer Mike Walker, video and animation designer Andrzej Goulding, musical director Chris Poon, orchestral management David Gallagher, casting director Stuart Burt CDG, children’s casting director Sarah De Souza, intimacy coordinator and fight director Haruka Kuroda,  wigs, hair and make-up designer Sam Cox, associate director Lexine Lee, associate choreographer Nicola Mac, assistant musical director Matthew Jackson, music assistant Tom Crathorne and counselling psychologist Jane Titterton.

The piece runs from 8 July to 19 August.