The Bodyguard at the Liverpool Empire Review
The Bodyguard
Liverpool Empire
26 April to 7 May 2016
Reviewed by Deborah Banasko
Liverpool’s Empire Theatre is situated in the centre of Liverpool, with Lime Street Railway Station and Lime Street Carpark just 3 minutes walk away.
The theatre itself is very grand from the outside, although the foyer was a little crowded as people entered due to all bags being checked by security staff. Once inside we were able to get a range of drinks and snacks from a large serving area on the ground floor. The wait was a few minutes as we arrived just before the show started. I would suggest perhaps arriving a little area to avoid the rush. There were plenty of friendly staff to help, it was just the sheer influx of people that was the issue. Upstairs there was a large bar area, plus the Piano bar is also on the box office side of the theatre up a couple of flights of stairs.
There were of plenty toilets so queues were minimal, and it really is a beautiful, clean theatre.
The main auditorium was quite stunning to take in, with a very impressive stage. The only criticism I have is that there wasn’t a great amount of leg room in the raised stalls where we sat.
The show tells the story of a young singer Rachel Marron (played by Alexandra Burke) at the peak of her profession, who is being stalked by a crazed fan. Initially she is unaware of how much danger she is in, and as a result is reluctant to accept advice from her new bodyguard, Frank Farmer (Stuart Reid). In fact she is positively opposed to him controlling her life. An unlikely romance eventually develops between the two, but this is not well received by all of those close to Rachel and Frank. Rachel is living in grave danger but needs to maintain her popularity in order to win an Oscar, and puts her trust in Frank to guard her life.
The show started with a “bang”… quite literally! Alexandra Burke looked simply amazing and oozed confidence in this role, and her version of “Queen of the Night” had the whole room cheering. The special effects were like nothing I have seen in a theatre show before, with flames rising from either side of the stage. It was enthralling and exciting to watch.
Other hi-lights included a scene in a karaoke bar, and this provided some light relief to some of the more tense scenes. The bar-singers were hilarious, and the witty exchanges between Frank and Rachel were genius.
Two other actors who really stood out were the little boy who played Fletcher, and Rachel John who played Nicki Marron. Rachel John had the most stunning vocal range, and the little boy was the most natural singer, dancer and actor.
The set was well designed, with swift yet dramatic scene changes that helped to depict the story. The director really threw everything at this show, with various lighting effects including the depiction “slow motion” in a concert scene. Everything about this show was visually stunning.
The only critique that I could make concerned the iconic scene at the awards ceremony where Frank has to save Rachel from the gunman. I felt that more could have been made of this scene, and whilst I appreciate that stunts can be risky in live theatre, perhaps it could have looked a little more dramatic. This is a minor issue within the entire show, and did not distract from my overall enjoyment in any way, but was slightly anti-climactic for such a key scene. The song that followed more than compensated!
At times it was like being at a pop concert, and you could forget that you were at the theatre! Please interpret this remark as an absolute positive! After many of the songs my friend and I would look at one-another blown away by the voices, dancing and dramatic effect- I must have said “wow” a hundred times. The duets between Burke and John were simply beautiful; their voices worked perfectly together. This really is a great show even if you like music but aren’t a fan of musical theatre, as the performances were in a pop-style.
The show ended with a standing ovation from the entire audience- and rightly so. A note-perfect performance of “I will always love you” from Alexandra Burke that sent shivers down your spine, with a more up-tempo number to end the night.
A talented and well cast group of actors/singers, brilliant music and a really enjoyable narrative. Alexandra Burke is simply amazing! I was a little apprehensive when coming to see the show, as covering Whitney Houston numbers is a huge responsibility, but Alexandra Burke nailed it, and brought her own style. Without a doubt this show deserves 5 stars.
Rating: 5/5 
Tickets cost from £10 to £54.40 (plus £2.85 transaction fee).
The Bodyguard is at the Liverpool Empire until 7 May 2016. For more information or to book tickets click here or call the box office on 0844 8713017.
Liverpool Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JE | 0844 8713017
