Missed Saigon?

Musical is back on in the West End writes Claire Brine

The heat is on – not only in Saigon, but also in the Prince Edward Theatre in London, where a new production is celebrating the 25th anniversary of Miss Saigon. Best known for its Les Mis-style songs, including ‘The Last Night of the World’ and ‘Bui-Doi’, the musical follows the life of a Vietnamese girl named Kim after she falls in love with a US marine fighting in the Vietnam War.

It’s 1975 in Saigon. War is bloody. Having lost both her parents in the conflict, Kim becomes a prostitute in the sleazy Dreamland club. She meets Chris and the pair fall in love.

While Kim and Chris are growing closer together, Saigon is falling apart. Chris knows that it is only a matter of time before the Vietcong take the city, so he plans to fly back to America with the other troops. He promises to take Kim with him.

But then everything goes wrong. When Chris arrives at the Embassy, he is ushered onto a helicopter. By the time Kim arrives, the gates are too crowded and she cannot get through to meet him. Heartbroken, the pair are separated.

Three years later, Kim is bringing up her child in Bangkok. She dreams that one day Chris will return to her and finally meet their son, Tam.

But unbeknown to Kim, Chris has moved on. Believing he would never see his Vietnamese sweetheart again, he has married Ellen and started a new life back in America.

When Chris learns of Kim’s whereabouts and that he has a son, he travels to Bangkok to meet them. Kim is distraught to learn that Chris is married, then begs him to take Tam back to America so that he can experience a better life.

‘As long as you can have your chance,’ she sings to Tam, ‘I swear I’ll give my life for you.’

To give up her son is a gut-wrenching decision.

Chris knows that, whatever he does, Kim or Ellen will be hurt. Kim knows that a life without her son will be even bleaker than it was before. Is there any way this can end well?

Sometimes, whatever our backstory, life isn’t fair. Heartache is inevitable.

Our choices hurt people – but sometimes we have to make them anyway. At other times, we face a dilemma and don’t know what to do for the best or how to make a wrong situation right. There just seems to be no pain-free answers.

To be in the pits of despair is a lonely experience. Even if we try to tell people how we are feeling, they don’t quite understand, leaving us feeling worse than before. And when the magic wand to solve our problems doesn’t materialise, we may think all hope is lost.

It doesn’t have to end like that.

Unlikely as it may seem, there is always one more place to turn, one more person to call on. Whether we believe it or not, hope can be found in Jesus.

He makes us this offer: ‘Come to me, all you who are weary and burdened, and I will give you rest’ (Matthew 11:28 New International Version).

When life looks impossible from every angle, we can trust that we are never alone. We can talk to Jesus and tell him everything. He listens. He understands. He comforts.

Our script can have a happy ending.

UK & Ireland War Cry 26 July 2014