Theatre Review: The Bodyguard - King's Theatre, Glasgow ✭✭✭✭
Review by Anna Ireland
The show starts with a bang, quite literally.
The gunshot of a threatening stalker (Mike
Denman) immediately merges a
CSI-style narrative with the glitz and glamour of singer Rachel Marron’s (Alexandra Burke) showbiz life, introducing
her need for bodyguard Frank Farmer (Stuart
Reid).
Adapted from the 1992 film of the same name,
the production’s UK tour follows a two year stint in London’s West End. It
follows Farmer in his
determination to save Marron from harm, going beyond the call of duty to
protect her and her sister (Melissa James) and son. Inevitably, they
fall in love. The relationship between the two is convincing and neither
disappoint. The story is a romance with musical numbers at every opportunity, with
18 Whitney Houston classics including I Have Nothing and Saving All
My Love ensuring that we are not dissatisfied. Burke is full of charm,
pulling diva-like strops whilst transitioning to the more mellow love scenes
with ease, while Reid has the right amount of authenticity and charm.
Here,
the threat of danger has the potential to create intense drama; instead, it
appears comical. It’s hard to make a killer feel menacing on stage when aligned
next to a love story and soaring ballads, and the balance is not quite achieved.
The humour appears silly and farcical and, combined with such a serious
plotline, means that neither can be taken seriously. There are parts that feel
genuinely scary, particularly in a club scene where his hooded appearance and
flashing lights have the audience gripped to the edge of their seat, but this
is a rare flash of sincerity. The climax of the ‘tension,’ a performance at the
Oscars in which the stalker appears in the crowd, succeeds greatly in shock
factor as the Farmer swoops in to save the day. It’s explosive in these moments
of high drama, but never feels fully sincere next to romance and sparkling
dance numbers.
This glitz of the celebrity world does generate
dazzling performances. As the sister forever in Marron’s shadow, Melissa James is hugely impressive,
whilst scenes with young son Fletcher provides moments of genuine tenderness and a
sweet-as-honey voice. The vocal talent of the cast is outstanding, with more
than a few hair-standing-on-end moments, particularly with Burke’s finale
rendition of I Will Always Love You, to which she received a standing
ovation.
The show is fun and lively in a Mamma Mia-esque
fashion. The audience were dancing and whooping to final number I Wanna
Dance with Somebody. It’s hard not to tap your feet to such undoubtedly
good musical numbers, or observe in awe those who perform them. However, these
voices steal an otherwise fairly empty and potentially comical show that fails
to find the balance between romance and sincere tension. If you’re a Whitney Houston
fan, it’s not one to be missed; for others, maybe it’s one to take with a light
hearted nature and a pinch of salt. [And perhaps a couple of glasses of
Chardonnay.]
The Bodyguard is at the King's Theatre, Glasgow until 14th March
