Opening performance of Miss Saigon in Norwich interrupted after person is taken ill

The opening performance of Miss Saigon at the Norwich Theatre Royal had to be stopped last night after a member of the audience was taken ill.

It was the first of 28 performances of Cameron Mackintosh's acclaimed production at the city theatre which is currently on a major UK tour.

In a statement John Bultitude, Norwich Theatre Royal communications manager, said: 'A person was taken ill during last night's (August 15) performance of Miss Saigon.

'They were assessed by our trained first-aiders who took the decision to stop the performance for around 10 minutes to attend to them.

'After medical advice, they were helped from the auditorium. The East of England Ambulance Service attended and checked over them, and they were assessed as well enough to go home.'

One member of the audience told us the incident was 'well handled' and the cast got a round of applause as the performance got back underway.

The show, which has a company of 60 and runs until September 15 in Norwich, tells the story of 17-year-old Kim who is forced to work in a Saigon bar run by a notorious character known as the Engineer during the last days of the Vietnam War.

There she meets and falls in love with an American GI named Chris but they are torn apart by the fall of Saigon. For three years Kim goes on an epic journey of survival to find her way back to Chris, who has no idea he's fathered a son.