Memories of Miss Saigon

Memories of Miss Saigon

By Molly McLaughlin, Year 13, who shared the role of Kim with Caroline Blair, Year 12 Miss Saigon is set in Vietnam in the final days of the Vietnamese war, and tells the tragic love story of a young and vulnerable Vietnamese woman, Kim, who falls in love with an American G.I. soldier, Chris.

When it was first announced that Bolton School were going to perform a joint production of Miss Saigon l was extremely excited as I had been to see it in London and had been obsessed ever since (and still am). So, when I found out we were doing it at school I didn’t even hesitate to audition – I knew whichever part I got it would be such a poignant and memorable way to complete my journey at Bolton School. When I was given the part of Kim, I was left with a real mixture of emotions; predominantly excitement but also anxiety as, although I’d had lots of experience of singing in public, I had never really done acting before. Therefore going into the rehearsal process I felt nervous, but I quickly realised there was nothing to be concerned about; everyone was in the same boat and all of the staff were always prepared to give us constructive and one-to-one support and advice. By the time of the shows, I had become so used to acting in front of people that it almost became second nature to me.

The cast began rehearsals in September 2016 and from the outset a very natural bond immediately formed amongst everyone from Year 10 upwards; we really did become a sort of family and I was able to form many long-lasting friendships. In the lead-up to the actual performances, rehearsing with the orchestra was something I will never forget; the quality of musicianship and orchestration made it feel like we were performing in the West End – as many comments have since reflected.

The staging of the show was spectacular; the technicians put in a huge amount of work and I felt honoured to be performing on such an amazing stage. Before every performance there was a real ‘buzz’; we had worked incredibly hard over the months and we couldn’t wait to show everyone the amazing spectacle. And amazing it was! Every performance was sold out leaving many more seeking tickets. The response from the audience was overwhelming and although I was so sad when the final show came to an end, I felt extremely privileged to have had the experience, reassured by the fact that I had achieved something very special and will be left with memories that will stay with me forever. As for the cast, we are all still in touch and are planning to have a get together in summer! For younger years considering whether to take part in productions at Bolton School, I cannot urge you enough. I really feel I have grown as a person and was able to do things I never thought I was capable of, and I have every intention of continuing with musical theatre and singing as an extra-curricular activity at university.

Participating in the show was a great experience, having had the opportunity to work with people of different ages to us and with very supportive people around us all the time. As well as being the youngest, we weren’t nervous to perform, just excited. This show will always be a great memory for us. Alice and Ella Nielsen, Year 4 Who shared the role of Tam, Kim and Chris’s child