Once again the fantastic Miss Saigon is touring the UK, pausing at the Edinburgh Playhouse Theatre for a very limited run of two and a half weeks.

I had heard that they had made several major adaptations to the production but didn’t think I was going to get to see it.

The show now has a far more elaborate set providing more performance levels and acting areas. I would have thought the extension of the set and subsequent changes would have detracted from the action but this was not the case.

The one major change is that of the arrival and departure of the evacuation helicopter, shown using projected images. The evacuees entry to the helicopter is very cleverly done although one soldier seemed to jump through the metal sides of the doorway.

I know it is a little unfair to have favourite performers in certain characters, but having seen the show several times before I did have one or two preferred performers.

I had seen Jon Jon Briones as an ensemble member in the original cast of Miss Saigon in London, but this was the first time I had seen him as ‘The Engineer’. His characterisation is very different from any I have seen before, more upbeat and possibly pushy.

Ramin Karimloo is a new performer to me, his dark smoldering good looks, superb physique and fabulous voice left me in no doubt as to how Kim could fall for Chris. I have seen several different actors play Chris and up to this point Mark O’Malley was my favourite but after seeing Ramin I am torn between the two performances.

Jennifer Hubilla and Ima Castro share the part of Kim. In the performance I saw Jennifer was on. Having seen Ima during the shows last visit to Edinburgh it was nice seeing another actress in the part. Jennifer complements Ramin they both look good together and she was able to portray the gamut of emotions felt by the character during the show.

Lara Pulver as Ellen, Chris’s wife had been in Edinburgh before in the UK tour of ‘The Boyfriend’. One of the most poignant moments in the show is the scene between Kim and Ellen when they first meet. This production seems to bring this moment to the fore.

John Partridge as Chris’s friend John is one of the main characters but is often overlooked in some ways. The main pinnacle of the characters performance is the opening number of act two ‘Bui Doi’, which for me is the musical number of the show.  I originally thought Peter Polycarpou, who created the role of John gave the definitive performance of this showstopper, and this was closely followed by the interpretation by Hugh Maymard on the last Tour, I wondered if John could live up to the extremely high standards set by his predecessors. In looks he is the epitome of a gorgeous All American boy, his vocal talents are also obvious and the rendition of ‘Bui Doi’ had me in tears.

Christian Rey Marbella as Thuy, Kim*s cousin, to whom she was betrothed as a child adds the touch of menace.

The whole show is as spectacular and enjoyable as the first time I saw it in London. I would love to get to see it again and again and hope it returns soon.