What's On Stage Awards 2015: Miss Saigon sweeps board with nine awards

The musical returned to the West End last year after an absence of more than a decade

Eva Noblezada stars as Miss Saigon at the Prince Edward Theatre in London (Reuters)

Miss Saigon's blockbuster return to the West End swept the board at this year's What's On Stage Awards.

The revival of the hit musical, which tells the story of a bar girl who falls in love with a US soldier during the Vietnam War, has been a huge hit and taken millions of pounds at the box office.

It won nine awards at the event, hosted by Mel Giedroyc and Steve Furst, at the Prince of Wales Theatre in London.

Among the gongs it won at the awards, voted for by the theatre-going public, were best actress in a musical for Eva Noblezada, best choreography, best set design and best West End Show.

It also won the best actor in a musical and best supporting actress and actor categories.

The show's producer, Cameron Mackintosh, said: “I've always known that the public knows best so I am delighted that the new Miss Saigon has swept the board with a record-breaking nine awards including best musical revival and best show, and I'm thrilled for all our other winners as well, especially to the extraordinary achievement of our four leading Asian performers winning the top acting awards.

“The original productions in 1989 bizarrely lost the Olivier Award for Best Musical to a rock and roll compilation show Return To The Forbidden Planet - so it's nice to see the public having the last word.”

The epic musical by Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schonberg has been seen in 300 cities around the world and performed in 15 languages. It returned to the West End last year after an absence of more than a decade.

The awards also reunited former Doctor Who favourites David Tennant and Billie Piper who were named best actor and actress respectively for their performances in the RSC's Richard II and the National Theatre's Great Britain.

Mark Gatiss, who has both written and starred in the long-running sci-fi show, was named best supporting actor for his performance in Coriolanus at the Donmar Warehouse.

PA