CREDIT: Paul Coltas
REVIEWTHEATRE
THE
BODYGUARD
☆☆☆☆
Based on the 1992 film of the same name and
starring Alexandra Burke and Stuart Reid, The
Bodyguard is the story of a pop diva, Rachel
Marron, who receives threats from a stalker,
leading her managers to employ Frank Farmer,
former Secret Service agent and the best
bodyguard in the business. His aloof and
professional approach initially causes him to
clash with the headstrong singer, but as they
work together, they get closer and closer; as
does the threat from her obsessive fan.
Any actress taking on this role has some big
shoes to fill, as the comparisons to Whitney
Houston are impossible to avoid. Whilst her
acting was not the best that has ever graced a
stage, Alexandra Burke was clearly drafted in
for a reason, and was able to hit the spot as she
belted out a number of the shows more
demanding and iconic songs. I Have Nothing
and One Moment In Time were incredibly well
performed and I Wanna Dance With Somebody
was great fun. But the song everyone was
waiting for was I Will Always Love You, and
Burke didn’t disappoint with her superb
rendition. Had these big numbers been
mishandled, then it would have spoilt the whole
show, but there was no danger of that; and
Burke was clearly at her most comfortable on
stage when she was doing what she does best.
Looking at the list of musical numbers, there
was a slight initial anxiety that we were about to
watch “Whitney – The Musical”, but the actual
integration of the songs with the story worked
well.
Sitting comfortably between film adaptation
and jukebox musical, the show looked
professional, polished and relatively slick, with
some bold, colourful and energetic production
numbers, good sets and lighting and a decent
pace. There were some flaws in the production;
including sometimes when the scene changing
became slightly intrusive; but primarily as a
result of some rather wooden acting all round
which served to provide rather flat
characterisations (although standing out from
the crowd was Melissa James, as Nicki Marron,
whose singing range was vast and whose
interpretations of the ballads were beautiful)
But despite these issues, The Bodyguard does
exactly what it sets out to do, and that is
entertain.
PAUL SZABO
The Bodyguard is currently on
national tour at various locations
around the country until June 2016.
www.thebodyguardmusical.com
THEGAYUK | ISSUE 17 | DEC 2015 27