The Bodyguard - musical review

As a staple film of the 90s, romance thriller The Bodyguard is still proving popular as it does the rounds touring the UK on stage. Featuring an abundance of Whitney Houston's powerhouse hits, the piece sure packs a punch when needed.

In undoubtedly one of the most vocally challenging leading roles in theatre - yet frequently overlooked - Sidonie Smith becomes Rachel Marron, who consistently demonstrates the ability to take on even the biggest of numbers with ease. Her cliche enemy-to-lovers muse, Frank Farmer (Adam Garcia) neatly portrays the bodyguard drafted in to protect her but both find themselves swept up in a whirlwind of unexpected adoration. Nicki Marron, the understated sister, played by Sasha Monique, seems to always deserve better, while little Fletcher (the little spark that was Adam Bartlett for the reviewed performance) navigates a childhood plagued with his mother Rachel's stardom.

Kicking off the production with a jumpscare - one of several across the show - the dramatic entrance merges into a fierce, all-guns-blazing rendition of 'Queen of the Night'. Drama emerges when alerts of threat to safety are imminent to the icon which flips their lives around from the glory to a nervous disposition, and thus the show begins its wavering between musical flair and darker themes. As a jukebox surrounding none other than Whitney's tracks, a solid plot is necessary, and this close adaptation of the film appeases its enjoyers. From a theatrical point, having many of the songs as stand-alone performances arguably disjoints the narrative flow, but does give them the grace they deserve. Including 'So Emotional', 'One Moment in Time', 'I Have Nothing', 'Greatest Love Of All',  'I Will Always Love You', and more, it's a stark reminder of musical legend legacy to be preserved. Glittering acts such as 'I'm Every Woman' create that real opposition to the haunting worries that linger.

Oftentimes, the story is actually rather tacky with its simplicity and the lack of true character development (particularly Nicki), but this is an obvious catchpoint for all those in favour of a easy to follow piece. There are some genuinely heart-pounding moments of suspense, contrasted with some impressively terrible karaoke.

In terms of set and staging, it's a bit of a mixed bag. Some scenes pop, while others appear a little drab and empty - a bland space that only works if corresponding roles are offering enough to fill it. When concluding the performance, audiences do get a bittersweet ending, but the shift between dramatics to the finale only leaves time for a superficial emotional reaction, without time to settle before being thrown into a bright chorus of 'I Want to Dance With Somebody'.

All we can hope, is that Whitney herself would've seen The Bodyguard as doing her incredible work justice, because ultimately, that is what remains at the core.