New Year’s Day 2018 and my first visit of the year to the Millenium Centre in Cardiff Bay for another performance of Miss Saigon. This is its final week in Cardiff before moving on, and I must say it’s been a phenomenal experience to sit in the audience so many times to watch such an amazing show burst into life in front of your very eyes. Every performance seems to get better and better as the weeks go by, shame it has to end, but at least another theatre in another part of the country can share experiences with another audience of this fabulous musical.

Today I’d like to talk about the orchestra set in the pit, delivering the music for this show. The musicians playing these iconic melodies are superb, with them playing almost non stop throughout the performance. With the whole show sung to music, these guys must be spot on, and from all I’ve seen, have been. The written music is so beautiful just to listen to, even if you don’t say a word. There are so many contrasting pieces to get to grips with, which really test any orchestra, but as usual, with any production at the Centre, these guys make it look so easy.

The orchestra consists of 15 musicians, (conducted by James McKeon), some playing various instruments, but the sound they make is incredible, you would think they had more in the pit that was actually there, and with this excellent sound system they all sound even better. I suppose being a Cameron Mackintosh production with music and lyrics from Boublil and Schonberg, then everything has to be perfect, and the Orchestra are just that.

One last thing to finish, another fantastic performance again from all the cast, so easy to watch and fabulous to go with it.