REVIEW: The Bodyguard at Sunderland Empire

Whitney Houston is widely considered to be one of the most gifted singers in the history of the art, and at the height of her fame came the opportunity to star in a blockbuster thriller alongside Kevin Costner called The Bodyguard. Now, over the 30 years later, the stage adaptation of that movie is touring the UK, with Sunderland one of its many stops. With this tour, Sidonie Smith takes over the reigns as megastar Rachel Marron, with stage legend Adam Garcia taking on the role of her titular protector Frank Farmer.

Sidonie Smith and Adam Garcia. Credit Paul Coltas

The musical takes its soundtrack from Whitney’s acclaimed discography, featuring all the hits from How Will I Know to I Have Nothing. Sidonie Smith gives it her all as she tries to emulate the powerhouse of Houston, with her shining moments coming through the show’s many ballads, especially the song made famous by the film, I Will Always Love You. Adam Garcia is almost overqualified for a role like Frank Farmer, with him unable to showcase his dance ability, and his chance at singing being played for comedy during karaoke. Nonetheless, just his presence brings a touch of class to proceedings.

The creatives did a great job at creating a concert atmosphere for the opener All At Once, with pyrotechnics and glamour giving the show the start it deserved. The production tries its best to keep the feel of the original film, even including a romantic projection on a screen towards the end. A real highlight was when the red dot of a sniper’s shot slowly made its way across the faces of the audiences which, along with a few scattered jump scares, made sure that everyone was on their toes along with the tension of the production.

Sasha Monique as Nicky Marron. Credit Paul Coltas

The highlight of the show for me had to be Sasha Monique as Nicki Marron, the sister of Rachel. Nicki dreams of being a singer, stuck in the shadow of her sister’s success, but when Sasha Monique sings her songs, she captivates the whole room. The big closing number gets the audience up on their feet to clap and dance along to I Wanna Dance with Somebody, as well as also giving some of the supporting cast the chance to show off their own singing abilities and the choreography from Karen Bruce being given another moment to shine in these closing moments.

The Bodyguard is directed by Thea Sharrock and is at the Sunderland Empire from Mon 27 April to Sat 2 May, with tickets available to be purchased here.