Sheffield Theatres' new production of controversial musical Miss Saigon

The Miss Saigon they are busily making has finally opened to impressive reviews, but when we talk, opening night is a week out and, if the pressure of being at the helm of such an intensely scrutinised show, they aren’t showing it.

The reasons there is such a microscope on the production of which Lau and Hastie are in charge are manifold. Firstly, it’s Miss Saigon, arguably one of the most successful theatrical productions of all time this Sheffield production is the first time a new version of the Claude-Michel Schonberg, Alain Boublil musical has been made for the stage since its premiere in 1989.

Secondly, it’s Miss Saigon, arguably one of the most controversial commercially successful theatre productions of all time. It is not universally loved, with accusations of racism levelled at the piece and a British South East Asian company cancelling the Sheffield leg of its latest production, blaming Miss Saigon for perpetuating ‘damaging tropes, misogyny and racism’.

Hastie and Lau are not unaware of the hot potato they are juggling, but their primary focus is on bringing the production to the stage – although there is something inside the rehearsal room that is a little distracting; the presence of Claude-Michel Schonberg.

“Once you get over the fact that this is the person who wrote some of the greatest songs in world theatre, what’s really struck me is that he is an absolute enthusiast. He is really interested in challenging the work and having those conversations that help him really investigate the piece,” says Lau.

Hastie agrees: “He is definitely not interested in this being a museum piece. I have to pinch myself sometimes when I look and see him in the room, but he doesn’t bring any of that into the room himself.”

Perhaps not a museum piece, but if there were a museum of 20th century theatre, Miss Saigon would have a significant exhibition as part of it.

A retelling of Puccini’s Madama Butterfly, it tells the story of an American GI in Vietnam who meets and falls in love with Kim. The lovers are separated by the fall of Saigon but find their lives intertwined by fate.

The Boubli and Schonberg collaboration, which had paid pretty impressive dividends with Les Miserables, created some of the most memorable songs in musical theatre, with Movie in My Mind, Last Night of the World and The Heat is on in Saigon. Despite the undeniable controversy, it is a seriously impressive coup for Sheffield to have landed the first non-replica production of this story. When I ask Hastie how this happened, he is impressively bullish.

“Cameron Mackintosh (the original producer) was looking for a theatre partner to make a new production away from that world of commercial theatre. I think one of the most attractive things about bringing it to Sheffield for everyone is that the show has always been done in big proscenium arch spaces, while we have this very interesting space that really brings the audience in, and works particularly well for musicals,” says Hastie.

Lau adds: “Because most musicals are made for a pros arch, staging something here means that you have to go on an imaginative and creative journey to understand how best to use the space.”

When I push on the fact that it is a big deal for Sheffield, Hastie doubles down. “Of course it’s exciting and brilliant to have the trust of great writers and big commercial producers, but our work from Sheffield does go into the West End and tour the world and get turned into movies, so why not?”

And what of the controversy? Lau and Hastie’s rebuttals would take several more articles to fully articulate, but suffice to say they have clearly thought and talked long and hard about the decision. However it is perceived, there is good reason that this production has been so highly anticipated and might well shape Sheffield theatres reputation and image for some time to come.

To August 19. sheffieldtheatres.co.uk