The Bodyguard
An evening of nostalgia and a back catalogue of dreams, however this production of The Bodyguard didn’t quite hit all the right notes. I will preface this review with the fact that The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham is the first stop on this new U.K. tour so some of the issues will no doubt be ironed out, however for me it felt slightly lacklustre and lacked that star quality synonymous with the powerhouse that was Whitney Houston.
The musical is very true to the 1992 film starring Whitney herself as Rachel Marron, a pop mega star navigating her way to an Academy Award under the threat of a crazed stalker. In comes Frank Farmer, the Bodyguard tasked to look after the performer and her young child, Fletcher. Farmer is played by Adam Garcia who gave a polished performance of the slightly one dimensional protector, a highlight being a very off-key rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’ which raised many a chuckle around the auditorium as Farmer tried to impress at the karaoke bar under the gaze of pop royalty Marron.
For me, the chemistry between Farmer and Marron, played by Sidonie Smith wasn’t quite magnetic enough, but it’s understandable this early on in the run, and certainly something that can be improved upon. There were impressive performances from Sasha Monique as Nicky Marron, and James-Lee Harris as The Stalker who instilled the right amount of fear into the proceedings, with moments of drama that quite literally made the audience jump out of their seat.
Each and every Whitney number is a trip down memory lane with such songs as 'I Have Nothing', 'Million Dollar Bill' and 'How Will I Know', and the orchestra, under the Musical Direction of Charlie Ingles did a sterling job at providing some fantastic renditions of these pop classics, a particular highlight being ‘Queen of the Night’ with an almost anthemic feel to this complete toe tapper at the very start of the show. Lighting and costuming throughout the big show numbers dazzled, ensuring these moments popped off the stage.
I’ve seen at least four different productions of The Bodyguard over the years and you can always be guaranteed of an evening full of incredible music that makes this show one of the best jukebox musicals around. I’m sure as the tour goes on, this production will go from strength to strength, but for now it lacks that something special that could elevate it to the top of the charts.
This show was reviewed on the 23rd September 2025 at The Alexandra Theatre, Birmingham where it runs until the 27th September 2025. Tickets available here: The Bodyguard Tickets | The Alexandra, Birmingham in Birmingham | ATG Tickets
Full tour details can be found here: The Bodyguard Musical | Official Site
Review written by Emma Rowley
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Photo credit: Paul Coltas
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