Joanna Ampil has been cast as The Engineer in the first regional non-replica production of Boublil and Schönberg’s haunting musical Miss Saigon.
Presented by special arrangement with Cameron Mackintosh, Sheffield Theatres new production will be co-directed by artistic director Robert Hastie and RTYDS associate artistic director Anthony Lau. The production will be designed by Ben Stones with lighting designed by Jessica Han Yun.
Announced as part of Sheffield Theatres’ 2023 season, the re-imagined version of the multi-award-winning musical will play the Crucible Theatre from 8 July until 12 August.
Ampil (South Pacific, Chichester/West End/UK tour, Jesus Christ Superstar, London/Tokyo) who previously played Kim in the London, Sydney, UK touring and 1oth anniversary productions of Miss Saigon, will make her Sheffield Theatres debut in the production. Further casting and creatives will be revealed at a later date.
Announcing the production, Hastie said: “As we reach the culmination of our 50th anniversary year we are proud to announce new productions that continue our quest to give Sheffield audiences thrilling experiences they can only get in the theatre. A new production of Miss Saigon – the first in the UK to be given permission to explore new approaches to staging and casting since the original 1989 production – will light up the Crucible in summer 2023.
“Anthony and I are thrilled to be co-directing Boublil and Schönberg’s iconic show, and could not be more excited to be welcoming Joanna Ampil to Sheffield to play The Engineer.”
Lau added: “Robert Hastie and I are thrilled to be directing a new version of the musical Miss Saigon. With one of the most extraordinary scores in musical theatre history, we are looking forward to offering a fresh perspective on a musical that so many people have an opinion on.
“We want this project to ignite conversation and Cameron has encouraged us to be bold and original in our approach. The subject matter compels us to delve sensitively and deeply into the complications of two cultures entwined. At a time when it feels like there is more division than ever in society, epic stories like this give us the opportunity to embrace nuance and complexity in exploring the human experience.”
The multi-award-winning and record-breaking Miss Saigon has music by Claude-Michel Schönberg with lyrics by Richard Maltby Jnr and Alain Boublil, adapted from original French lyrics by Alain Boublil with additional lyrics by Michael Mahler.
Since its London premiere in 1989, Miss Saigon has become one of the most successful musicals in history. The first Broadway production opened on 11 April 1991 with what was then the largest advance sale in Broadway history ($37 million). The show went on to play for nearly ten years and 4,063 performances seen by more than 5.9 million people.
Miss Saigon has been performed in 28 countries, in over 300 cities, and in 15 different languages. It has been seen by over 35 million people worldwide and it has won over 40 awards including two Olivier Awards, three Tony Awards and four Drama Desk Awards.
Commenting on the programme, Dan Bates, chief executive of Sheffield Theatres, said: “The 2023 season combines everything we do so well at Sheffield Theatres – from nurturing new talent to re-imagining classic musicals. At the moment, we are about to embark on a UK tour with Much Ado About Nothing, whilst having our two upcoming productions deep in rehearsals: the riotously funny Accidental Death of an Anarchist in the Playhouse and the climate crisis double-bill The Contingency Plan in the Crucible.
“We continue to welcome more and more of our Sheffield community and those from further afield back to the theatre for a great night out and the team are in preparation for Christmas this year. Jack and the Beanstalk, our annual co-production with Evolution pantomimes, takes over the Lyceum whilst charming children’s show Jack Frost and the Search for Winter runs in the Playhouse. We are incredibly excited to welcome back to the Crucible stage Standing at the Sky’s Edge for the Christmas period, so our buildings will be brimming with potentially around 85,000 audience members in the Crucible, Playhouse and Lyceum over the festive period.”
Angela Thomas
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