Original Screenplay: Lawrence Kasdan
Book: Alexander Dinelaris
Director: Thea Sharrock
The Bodyguard bounces and bangs, both figuratively and literally, onto the stage of the Sunderland Empire this week.
This award winning musical is based on the 1992 film of the same name which starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner. The show’s book is by Alexander Dinelaris, which brings the character Rachel Marron front and centre. The film is focussed more on the bodyguard.
The story follows a famous singer Rachel Marron who is being threatened by a stalker. A professional bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect her. The professional relationship however soon develops into a romantic relationship.
A warning for the faint hearted. The show beings with a sudden, extremely loud bang. The opening is so loud that even the seats were vibrating. A large cinematic piece shows the stalker and then we are, bang, straight into the opening number. What a start to this vibrant, spectacular, loud jukebox musical.
The technical team deserve high praise for this show. The scene changes (set design by Tim Hatley), and there are many, are faultless. They are so slick that you arrive at the next set piece in the blink of an eye. The multimedia effects are also impressive and add to the story. This doesn’t happen often. In many shows it just seems to be added for effect but not this one. Mark Henderson leads the lighting team. The lighting and pyrotechnics are outstanding and deserved a standing ovation.
The strength of the show however is the music and the Whitney Houston hits were a winner with tonight’s audience. Strong vocals are needed for the character of Rachel Marron and Sidonie Smith didn’t disappoint. At times they were very high pitched but in the more emotional numbers, such as I Will Always Love You, Smith hit all the right notes and left the audience breathless. Whitney Houston fans won’t be disappointed with the number of iconic songs included in this show. They are all there: Run To You, Greatest Love Of All, One Moment In Time, and I Wanna Dance With Somebody to name just a few.
Adam Garcia steps into the role of Frank Farmer with aplomb and he doesn’t disappoint. The chemistry between him and Rachel could be clearly seen, as was the relationship between Frank and Fletcher, Rachel’s young son.
The role of Fletcher this week is played by several young actors Mason Dyett, Adam Barlett, Phoenix Beharry, Cale Cole and Ebrahim Joof. Tonight’s Fletcher, Ebrahim Joof, was a delight. He lit up the stage every time he appeared and his singing vocals were on point.
Sasha Monique stars as Rachel’s sister Nicki Marron. Her vocals are outstanding, as is her character development. Her growing emotional levels, as she shows she needs to be seen by the world, that she isn’t just Rachel’s sister but a talented person in her own right, and her blossoming love for Frank, are clearly seen.
James Lee Harris plays the role of The Stalker with just the right amount of menace in his actions.
The ensemble need praise too for their high energy performances. Karen Bruce’s choreography is fast paced and at times acrobatic, especially from the male dancers.
This jukebox musical often seemed like a pop concert but there is a storyline which, although predictable, is scattered with light and shade moments. Apart from the inevitable tension there are some humorous scenes, particularly the karaoke scene.
Fans of Whitney Houston and the original film of The Bodyguard will not be be disappointed with this show. It is full of powerful music and exciting staging. The cast deserved the highly energetic standing ovation as the curtain fell following a high energy encore.
Runs until Saturday 2nd May 2026
