It will be one of the largest touring productions in the UK, with a company of over 50 actors and musicians. |
This new production of Miss Saigon uses cutting-edge visual techniques and a brand new set design to fit varying sized auditoriums around the UK and to move quickly between venues. |
The set is an entirely new design which vividly recreates the streets of Vietnam and Bangkok, including the memorable final helicopter flight from the roof of the American Embassy. |
Animation is used in two scenes - 'American Dream' and the 'US evacuation of Vietnam'. These two sequences have taken over six months to produce by animation companies in London and New York. Tronic Studio in New York has previously been responsible for producing 3-dimensional animation for worldwide companies such as Nike, MTV and Newsweek. |
This 3D computer generated animation is played back through a catalyst media server controlled through the lighting desk. |
The visuals for the animation in 'American Dream' have been created by Gerald Scarfe, the internationally famous political cartoonist, also well known for designing and directing the animation for Pink Floyd's, The Wall. |
This UK tour production of Miss Saigon is of significant size and scale. It took four months to develop and construct the show, with a further five months design and planning prior to that. |
36 supplier companies have contributed to the various elements of the set, props, sound and lighting. The range of roles include draftsmen, designers, design engineers, projection designers as well as actual set and costume construction staff.
|
There will be 46 technical staff on each performance. |
Specially constructed props include unusual items such as street food vending trolleys from Bangkok and a odd pieces of South East Asian set dressing such as packaging on Vietnamese products and lanterns. |
To achieve the most authentic look possible, bamboo to dress the set has been specially imported from Indonesia, based on a recommendation from the bamboo specialist at the Eden Project in Cornwall. |
The costumes are replicas of the original London production designs. The costumes will be looked after by four wardrobe assistants. |
Specially woven silk is used for the Au Dai (the dresses the character Kim wears). |
Shoes are handmade to measure for each cast member.
|
Beading on the bikinis in the American Dream scene are individually hand sewn. |
The GI costumes are authentic American Army surplus, they wear bullet proof flack jackets and the helmets are made of real metal. |
Many costumes are outsourced for specialist dry cleaning, while others are hand washed. |
The only wigs used in the show are for the girls in the American Dream scene and are based on Marilyn Monroe's famous hairstyle |
49 deactivated M16 guns and AK 47 and other hand-guns all authentic to the Vietnam War, are used in the show. They are stored and transported in locked metal cabinets. |
The fibreglass bust of Ho Chi Minh is over 3m high, and has been specially sculpted and covered in gold leaf for this production. It took one month to construct and is transported in its own dedicated box.
|
One of the more unusual props required for the production is a 'Cyclo' rickshaw which is very specific to Vietnam. During the extensive search across the UK for materials required to construct one from scratch, the Props Department discovered that one already existed in England, in perfect working order. |
The show includes a real Vespa motorcycle, now converted to run on electricity instead of petrol. |
The production uses 450 lights, including for the first time in the UK, 18 revolution moving spot lights. |
The show features a sound triggered pyrotechnics display. |
A digital sound desk is used, this being a first on a theatrical tour of this scale.
|
