Performance Run: Tuesday 21 March - Saturday 2 May 2015

Performance Reviewed: Wednesday 22 March (Press Night)

Few films come around and strike the cultural zeitgeist in quite the same way 1992’s The Bodyguard did, and even fewer manage do so with an entire soundtrack of now-timeless hits to back it up. Firmly cementing the superstar status of the already-popular Whitney Houston, and boasting an ensemble of pop classics including 'I Have Nothing', 'I’m Every Woman' and, of course, the seminal re-working of Dolly Parton’s 'I Will Always Love You' which went on to form what remains to most successful movie soundtrack of all time, it is in some ways surprising that a musical adaptation didn’t materialise sooner. The answer, perhaps, lies in the simple fact that few, if any, can match Whitney on her own material, and the prospect of finding someone who can do her hits (and lungs) justice remains the real testing ground for The Bodyguard: The Musical.

Launching on it’s first ever UK Tour after a successful, award-winning debut in the West End, The Bodyguard: The Musical has secured a very marketable boon in X-Factor champion Alexandra Burke, who saw out the show in its last few months in London. Following in the footsteps of Heather Headley and then Beverley Knight, Burke was dismissed by some as being too populist a choice, lacking the sheer experience and Broadway finesse of Headley or the soul of Knight to do the show justice. And yet, as she continues to prove as the show arrives in Wolverhampton, Burke is an extremely worthy steward of the role, doing even Houston proud with impressive vocals, a feisty, wilful performance and a command of the stage that belies her relative inexperience.

Following the story of the original movie almost to the letter, bar some welcome injections of modernity (e-mails, ‘viral’ publicity and, naturally, the selfie), The Bodyguard: The Musical follows superstar Rachel Marron (Burke), a singer-actress at the height of her fame and on the cusp of potentially winning an Oscar or two. Into her world comes an unhinged admirer who has begun sending anonymous threatening letters that leads to her team hiring in no-nonsense specialist bodyguard Frank Farmer (Stuart Reid). Farmer’s no frills approach to the job initially suffocates Marron’s celebrity lifestyle and her teams publicity circus, but, well, we all saw the film... and no prizes for guessing where the Rachel-Frank dynamic leads to if you havent.

The two leads play off one another well, and at times it’s genuinely uncanny how much Burke manages to nail Houston’s somewhat breathy American twang. At times, you could close your eyes and easily imagine it be Whitney delivering the lines, if not for Burke occasionally playing Rachel with a slightly more theatrical and bombastic edge, which in some ways feels perfectly fitting for the stage. There’s also something quite resonant in having a successful pop star stepping into the role - and whilst Alexandra may not have hit Whitney’s heights, it’s still a nice meta wink and nudge that works well, particularly in the typically X-Factor-esque opening tiles (mercifully absent of any Peter Dickson). Vocally, as mentioned, she does a terrific job, especially given the calibre and clout of some of the numbers she is required to perform nightly. At times it becomes evident that some peaks and troughs are a little out of her vocal comfort zone, but even these she sings passionately and with gusto, and the numbers which she does nail, in particular a stunning, faultless rendition of ‘Run To You’ are utterly exquisite. Burke should be wholly commended for stepping into a very challenging and demanding role and completely rising to the challenge - the near-deafening audience reaction and standing ovation were wholly deserved.

Reid gets a far more thankless role as Frank, and whilst he gives good deadpan and nails the dour, initially all-business-no-play persona from the outset, there was little on either the stage or page to make the character, or Reid’s performance, particularly compelling. Yes, that’s his character and no, he can’t be cavorting around exuding am-dram forlornness, but this mould of character has been done on stage countless times before and still registered stronger. Most damningly, come the rousing finale, it’s only really Burke who managed to stir any sympathy or make me remotely care about the central relationship between the two. In fact, the dynamic between Rachel and her sister Nicki, beautifully played in deportment and voice by Melissa James, is far more engaging.

Production-wise, this is big-budget, West-End worthy standards of musical theatre. The transition to tour is always a curious one, where some shows lose so much of their visceral impact by demands of practicality. The Bodyguard: The Musical, however, remains quite the spectacle of a show, with Tim Hatley’s set and costume design lending the show a genuine sense of scope and showmanship. There is real intelligence and depth to the way Hatley uses his space - claustrophobically blocking us in at the getaway shack Farmer takes Rachel and her family to, to the empirical pillars and forced perspective of Rachel’s home commenting on the grandiose, egregious nature of her celebrity. Similarly, the numerous performance set pieces (including the welcome addition of some of Houston’s more recent hits such as ‘Million Dollar Bill’) are executed with real verve and pop star vigour, with erupting flames, strobe lighting and wheeling stages capturing some MTV-esque authenticity. The only disappointment in these high octane moments is the at-times haphazard nature of Karen Bruce’s choreography, which is generally fine but in places could do with some real tightening and polish.

At the end of The Bodyguard, after the entire auditorium had risen to their feet in rapturous applause before Burke had even concluded the iconic closing number, and following a spirited, toe-tapping curtain call denouement, I curiously noted that no official cast recording of the production has been made, either on tour or in London; instead, in it’s place on the merchandise stand was the original movie soundtrack. Whether it be a contractual agreement that allowed the show to exist in the first place in utilising Houston’s still-beloved collection of hits, or harking back to that sticking point of trying to find someone who can do a re-recording of them justice, I can’t be sure. But should it be the latter, it serves as a parallel for this review as a whole - there may never be another Whitney, and the original movie was the kind of lightning-in-a-bottle moment that the show will never quite be able to match - but good Grammys, Burke and company do a quite terrific job of giving it a go. The Bodyguard: The Musical is dazzling on almost every level, with stellar production values, a catalogue of terrific pop classics that still hold up, and offering exactly the kind of hearty, accessible evening of entertainment that you’d expect from the source material and title alone. Burke steps confidently into the shoes of the late, great Whitney, silencing any naysayers and proves to be the real Queen of the Night.

 

RATING - ★★★★

 

THE BODYGUARD: THE MUSICAL is running at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre from Tuesday 21 April to Saturday 2 May 2015.

CLICK HERE for more information on the show's run at the Grand and to book your own tickets!

Alternatively, telephone the theatre's Box Office direct on 01902 429212.

 

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Press tickets for this performance of THE BODYGUARD: THE MUSICAL were provided courtesy of the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre directly. The author gratefully acknowledges their generous invitation.