ANY musical which can so skilfully blend love and lust is assured of being a winner and Miss Saigon has done just that since it opened in the West End in 1989.

The new touring production of the show has just hit Manchester, where it is signed up at the Palace Theatre until next year.

And what a stunning production it is, set amid the mayhem and emotion of the fall of Saigon at the end of the Vietnam war.

It is the story of Kim, a reluctant young prostitute who falls for a US Marine sergeant and - unbeknown to him - has his child.

It is a mix of romance and decadent sleaze with much of the action set in the sex industry of Saigon and Bangkok - where Kim escapes with her son and shows a mother's determination to make sure he doesn't suffer the same in life as she has as the plot heads towards the inevitable reunion.

The show itself is breathtakingly spectacular but carries a biting political message.

Sets and designs are amazing, complete with a helicopter landing on stage to evacuate American troops, bikini-clad chorus-line go-go dancers and stunning lighting.

There is also a corrupt pimp called the Engineer whose role carries most of the menace and humour throughout.

The show is vibrant and exciting, sexy and ultimately sad.

Miss Saigon, Palace Theatre, Manchester