The Bodyguard: The Musical

Curve, Leicester 12/5/26

Review by Gareth Hides

“Packs a punch” ★★★★ (Four stars)

This review contains spoilers.

Telling the story of fictional superstar Rachel Marron (Sidone Smith) and her bodyguard beau, Frank Farmer (Adam Garcia), The Bodyguard comes to the Curve on its UK tour with all guns blazing.

The musical, originally produced in the West End at the Adelphi Theatre in 2012, is based on the 1992 film of the same name, starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. Sidone Smith’s Rachel is suddenly seriously threatened by a stalker at the height of her fame and her management team enlist the services of the best bodyguard in the business, Frank, played by West End royalty Adam Garcia. The story charts the emerging love story between the pair, alongside the rising tide of complex threats from Marron’s stalker. Everything comes to a head at the Academy Awards where Rachel is due to perform, having been nominated for an Oscar. It becomes clear that this performance is to be the stalker’s final target and Frank must do all he can to protect her. In the world of the jukebox musical, none really compare with this high-stakes thriller of a plot: it really is a matter of life or death!

The show is littered with iconic Whitney Houston songs: those from the original film, but also inserted by the producers (heavyweights Michael Harrison and David Ian) are several others from Houston’s brilliant back catalogue. Sidone Smith’s incredible vocals are rightly front and centre for much of the performance. She leads the show with grace and glamour. Clearly, the role of Frank Farmer is written for a non-singer, which is a disappointment given we have the fabulous Adam Garcia (original West End Fiyero in Wicked, Tony Manero in Saturday Night Fever) in the role, and his wonderful vocals and dance ability are wasted on this show. Indeed, though funny, the only song he sings is an off-key karaoke version of “I Will Always Love You”

James-Lee Harris’ portrayal of the stalker is chilling and makes for some spine-tingling moments of theatre. Coupled with the brutal murder of Rachel’s sister Nicki (Sasha Monique), the musical very much tailors itself to a mature audience and is certainly not a family night out! Rachel’s son Fletcher (played by the captivating young Adam Bartlett) injected fun and innocence into the mix. His dance moves stole the show for me!

Karen Bruce’s choreography is energetic and punchy, delivering some wonderful ‘wow’ moments - particularly during “I’m Every Woman” and the finale. Tim Hatley’s set design is purely functional in places, understandably needing to be tour friendly. However, the audience sees too much of those grey curtains for their own good! He redeems himself with his costume design though, which brings a sparkle and class to the production. Chris Egan’s orchestrations pare back the band to just six players (compared with ten in the West End version) and there are moments when real woodwind and brass are missed. Generally, the production leans into the 90’s ‘cheesiness’, both in its high drama and its use of slow-mo projection (designed by Duncan McLean) of Rachel and Frank just before the big finale - epitomised in its rather predicable rising platform and dry ice at the show’s climax.

All things considered, this feel-good show will not disappoint those who enjoyed the original film and the iconic songs of Whitney Houston. And even for those less familiar with the film/story, this production delivers a great night out at the theatre. Book your tickets while you can!