Miss Saigon Stars Eva Noblezada & Alistair Brammer on Making Out, Friendly Insults & More

Miss Saigon’s Eva Noblezada first met co-star Alistair Brammer when she was just 17 years old. They had just been cast as the romantic leads of Kim and Chris in the epic musical.

“He had invited me to lunch in London,” the now 21-year-old Noblezada says, “He was a total gentleman, paid for the bill.”

"We got cast and then I sent her a Tweet," Brammer adds. "I figured we should probably get coffee or something before rehearsals just so we weren’t going ‘Hey, I have to make out with you. Good morning.’"



There is a lot of making out in Miss Saigon, the mega-musical that takes place during and in the aftermath of the Vietnam War. As the West End and now Broadway revival’s Kim and Chris, Noblezada and Brammer have to have red-hot chemistry on stage eight times a week; however, their offstage relationship is by no means romantic. Noblezada has a boyfriend, Leo, and Brammer has been married to his wife, Rachel, since last year. Noblezada and Brammer are professional partners who both treasure the roles they’ve been in since 2014, worship a good cup of coffee and adore making fun of each other.

“I don’t have a favorite thing about Eva. I have many least favorite things about Eva, if you want me to start with those,” jokes Brammer. “No, she’s great. She’s fun, and she’s very, very talented, so she makes my life easier as an actor.”

“It’s hard to name my favorite thing about Alistair—I mean hard in that there is very little I like about him,” Noblezada quips. “My favorite thing about Alistair is his ability to laugh a lot. But I like laughing at him more. Sometimes he’ll laugh at his own joke, and no one else will. I love to watch him crash and burn.”



Though they are both making their Broadway debuts, Brammer has a long list of credits: He made his West End debut in Les Miserables in 2009 and went on to appear in the 2012 film version. His London stage credits include Hair, Taboo, War Horse and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat. Meanwhile, Noblezada’s professional debut was the West End revival of Miss Saigon in 2014.

“If and when I did get nerves, Alistair was always there to coat it with a joke. He made me feel really comfortable,” Noblezada says about beginning the Miss Saigon rehearsal process. “There was never a second in rehearsal or on stage where I ever felt uncomfortable or scared. If anything, he made my performance much better.”

“[From the start] we had a natural chemistry, which was very easy to work with,” Brammer adds. “Because we’ve done it for so long and we’ve done it so many times together, it’s very natural now, and we’re very, very comfortable with each other on stage.”

That closeness is evident, whether they're performing "Last Night of the World" for a full house at the Broadway Theatre or trading mock insults in the wings.

“There are a lot of intense moments in the show,” Noblezada says. “But the fact that I can do those moments on stage and then run off and continue telling a joke—it just makes the whole thing more enjoyable.”