Book: Alexander Dinelaris
Director: Thea Sharrock
The Bodyguard takes the 1992 field workplace hit film starring the late and sadly missed Whitney Houston (in her film debut) and units it as a stage musical.
Rachel Marron is an academy award-nominated actress and world music celebrity with the world at her ft. The solely fly within the ointment is a stalker sending dying threats. Her supervisor seeks out assist in the type of Frank Farmer, former Secret Service agent, now skilled bodyguard.
Franks sees Rachel as an consideration in search of diva oblivious to her plight. As it ever was, this animosity flip to like and Rachel and Frank fall in love, however peril is ever-present.
Unfairly mired in controversy resulting from some horrendous viewers behaviour in Manchester, I’m glad to report that the packed Glasgow auditorium are on their greatest behaviour. No doubt helped by the pre-curtain bulletins about noise and singing alongside.
The present actually begins with a bang and is a way more lavish manufacturing than earlier excursions. It seems to be and sounds spectacular. The lighting is wealthy and enhanced by pyro results and a raft of backing dancers. The reside orchestra are in positive type underneath the baton of Sam Hall.
Australian performer Emily Williams takes on the long-lasting function of Rachel and is okay voiced, if a bit of stiff within the dance and performing departments, the titular bodyguard is competently performed by Emmerdale and Hollyoaks’ Ayden Callaghan. Both central performers endure from the extremely tacky and at instances boring narrative interludes. While crucial to offer a storyline, you possibly can’t assist really feel that the viewers is simply keen the time away till the subsequent track.
The overwhelming thought whereas watching the present is what a again catalogue Whitney Houston had and what a loss. The songs are shoe-horned into the story and play extra like particular person set-pieces relatively than a vital enhancement to the motion however they supply the highlights all through.
That mentioned, this can be a extremely entertaining present with a positive solid of gifted people and supplies a little bit of escapist glitz and glamour to the wintry scenes exterior the theatre doorways. Well value watching.
Runs till 7 January 2024 | Image: Paul Coltas
