Chasing hopes and dreams in the face of desperation and separation are central to this grippingly heart-wrenching musical set during the dying days of the Vietnam War in 1975 and now playing in Birmingham as part of its UK-wide tour.

Producer Cameron Mackintosh, with Michael Harrison, have pared down this revival of Alain Boublil and Claude-Michel Schönberg’s joint creation for smaller theatres without losing the spectacular moments like the helicopter scene at the American embassy, packed with people trying to escape the advancing Vietcong.

While the original show may have been more colourful, this production at the Alexandra Theatre feels much darker and more intimate, casting a sense of menace over the shadows in every corner and increasing the focus on the story of a young local girl falling for an American GI, only to be torn apart by war.

Based loosely on Puccini’s Madame Butterfly, director Jean-Pierre Van Der Spuy delivers a fully sung, operatic experience. The sweeping score, played by a superb live orchestra, featuring hit numbers including The Heat is On and The Movie in my Mind, ratchets up the drama leading up to the tragic finale.

“Dreamland” is the prophetic neon sign above the bordello in downtown Saigon where 17-year-old Kim is the new demure and innocent girl for sale, forced into prostitution after being newly orphaned in the fighting.

Here she meets a disillusioned young soldier Chris who has been egged on to pursue her by his comrades, and their night spent together leads to a traditional Asian marriage.

Julianne Pundan, making her professional debut, shines as a nuanced Kim, embodying determination and independence in her three-year post-war struggle to reunite with Chris. Jack Kane matches her depth as Chris, passive and tender but also riven by guilt as well as mental battle scars.

There is excellent support from Emily Langham as Chris’s wife Ellen, Dominic Hartley-Harris at first as a soldier and later as a veteran advocating for American Asian children, Mikko Juan as Chris’s jealous love rival and hard-nosed Vietcong officer, and Ace as Gigi, the leading showgirl.

But the standout star is Seann Miley Moore as Gigi’s sleazy, amoral pimp The Engineer. With a reptilian-like swagger and perfect timing, he seizes on the opportunity provided by Kim and her new child to pursue his own agenda of gaining a US visa and chasing the American Dream – which he mocks brilliantly during a dazzling song and dance routine with a strong high-energy ensemble in sharp contrast to the drama that follows.

Special recognition goes to the lighting design of Bruno Poet, stunningly effective in creating split-stage views of Kim and her child in poverty and Chris and Ellen back in America with lighting alone. The neon-lit backdrop of Bangkok also enhances the frenetic live-for-now atmosphere.

Black-and white newsreel footage gives a helpful historical context, especially the poignant images of children born to American and Asian parents. There comes a point when Kim is prepared to give up her child in self-sacrifice just to achieve her dream of giving it a better future. Heart-wrenching indeed.