Review: THE BODYGUARD, The Alexandra Birmingham - Tour

Photo credit: Paul Coltas

The Bodyguard has been revived once again for its third UK tour since its successful West End run. The movie of the same name was the second highest grossing film of the year when it was released in 1992, and starred the worldwide singing sensation Whitney Houston and renowned actor Kevin Costner in the title role.

The hit musical tells the story of Rachel Marron, one of the biggest pop stars in the world and her new bodyguard Frank Farmer. Unaware that she has a stalker who has been sending death threats, her manager hires Farmer who is given the brief to protect her at all costs. After the two spend so much time together they naturally grow fond of each other and take things further. The plot is perhaps a little thin on the ground but several moments remind us this is a thriller as much as a love story with gunshots startling the audience immediately. However, can business and pleasure be mixed successfully?

Australian platinum selling recording artist Emily Williams has reprised her role as Rachel Marron after being the alternate during its Australian run. Stepping into the leading lady’s shoes seems only natural for the experienced talent as Williams’ performance exudes confidence and credibility. Where Williams truly shines is belting the timeless Whitney Houston soundtrack we all know and love. Following in the footsteps of stars such as Alexandra Burke and Beverley Knight would never be an easy feat, however Williams brings her own unique interpretation of the role, giving Marron an innocence and vulnerability when behind closed doors.

Williams instantly sets the stage alight with her rousing rendition of ‘Queen Of The Night’, which immediately grabs the audiences attention (hard not to with flames erupting from the orchestra pit). Her vocal is effortless throughout, from the tender tone of ‘Run To You’ to the vocally challenging ‘I Have Nothing’. The highlight of her vocal performance is the closing number ‘I Will Always Love You’, which truly showcases what an outstanding voice Emily Williams has, particularly at the higher range with impeccable vocal runs. It’s not hard to see why producers of the show have asked Emily to reprise the role on its UK tour given the performance we witnessed last night.

Ayden Callaghan’s portrayal of Frankie Farmer is everything you would expect it to be. Callaghan does what he can within the role but the performance is, at times, one note. Due to the serious nature in which the bodyguard character has been written, there isn’t much room for character development or a change of pace. It is appreciated to see a slightly comedic performance to the end of Act One, which gives another side to the character when he performs his own rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’, much to the audiences delight.

It would be an injustice to not mention Emily-Mae who shines in her role of Nicki Marron. Thankfully the role is a bigger part on stage than in the film. The character is now more prevalent and is about living in the shadow of her sister’s fame. Emily-Mae’s gorgeous crystal clear vocal during ‘Saving All My Love For You’ is a standout moment of her well rounded performance that draws a huge audience response and rightly so.

Costuming (Tim Hatley) is reminiscent of the era reminding us that we are in and around 1992. This, however, is conflicting as the show attempts to modernise the story. Social media is portrayed through video projections with Marron and her bodyguard being spotted in a bar. The video projections (Duncan McLean) are high quality and practical, whilst set changes are taking place. Lighting (Mark Henderson) really sets the tone for intimate moments at home between Marron and her son, contrasting with the big concert like numbers making us feel we are in the presence of a star.

The soundtrack has some of the best songs ever written and they translate to the stage flawlessly. A pre-recorded announcement about refraining from singing is more than welcomed and the audience were impeccable throughout. If pantomimes aren’t your thing this festive season, head to The Alexandra in Birmingham for something you know you’re going to love.

The Bodyguard is the show that you want and the show that you need!

**** Four stars

Reviewed by: Jordan Potts

The Bodyguard plays at The Alexandra until 30 December, with tickets for Birmingham and Glasgow available here.