The Bodyguard The Musical At The Hawth Theatre, Crawley Review
DISCLOSURE - TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW.
Reviewed by Kelly Victoria
Yesterday saw the opening night of The Bodyguard The Musical at The Hawth Theatre in Crawley and I was lucky to have secured a ticket. It’s always a pleasure to visit my local theatre, where the staff are super friendly and welcoming.
As we took our seats, the house started to fill and there was a general level of chat as you’d expect. When bang, bang! Loud gunshot is played through the theatre and the show starts. I’d be lying if I didn’t say, that I almost jumped out of my skin! However, this sets the scene nicely for the thrill and intensity that’s to follow through the show.
The opening number starts with Queen of the Night which is belted out in the way we can come to expect throughout the show. There’s crowd noise playing and backing dancers to make you feel like you’re at a concert. Setting the scene, to make you understand the superstar that Rachel (played by Zoe Birkett) is.
The story of The Bodyguard is quite a simple one. Rachel Marron is a world-famous singer, known the world over. She finds herself being stalked and is receiving threatening letters and having costumes stolen. The stalker (played by Marios Nicolaides) even finds himself hired as a member of staff to get access to Rachel and leaves a stolen costume and knife in Rachel’s bed. Needless to say, Frank Farmer (Ayden Callaghan) is hired as the bodyguard, to protect Rachel and her family.
Initially, Rachel resents Frank and how he has to limit her life to keep her safe. But needless to say, they end up falling in love. Meanwhile, Rachel’s sister Nicki (played by Emily-Mae) is also falling in love with Frank. However, it’s Rachel that secures his affections and leaves Nicki heartbroken.
There are some tragic scenes in the show, which I won’t spoil as it would truly take away from the suspension you feel when watching throughout. But in the end, Frank is able to save Rachel from the stalker.
The whole show is incredibly suspenseful and a little scary at times. This is thanks to Marios Nicolaides portrayal as The Stalker. He doesn’t say a word in the show, but his acting does all of the talking. There are times when you are on the edge of your seat and the audience is audibly gasping at the suspense and surprise throughout the show. Marios played the part perfectly and to create such a reaction, through silent acting deserves huge kudos.
Zoe Birkett’s vocals were undoubtedly incredible and she literally belts through the whole show. She never once showed vocal tiredness and remained consistently brilliant throughout the whole performance.
Frank Farmer, the bodyguard, came across just as you remember him from the films. Suave, stern and demanding. Ayden Callaghan played him well and the whole audience definitely appreciated his perfect portrayal.
For me, special credit has to go Emily-Mae as Nicki Marron, Rachel’s sister. She sang like an absolute dream and whilst not the main character, her vocals stole the night for me. Her voice was strong, clear and just divine.
Unfortunately, we weren’t informed which young actor played Fletcher, Rachel’s son through the performance. It’s a shame, as I’d love to be able to mention him. He has a lot to do through the show and was an absolute superstar.
The ensemble bought so much high energy to the show, with their moves and big characters, making such a difference to the big scenes in the show. Frank Thompson’s choreography was amazing and the scenes wouldn’t have been the same without them. They were also funny at times, in particular the three girls in the karaoke bar with their bad singing, who had the whole audience belly laughing.
The costumes were reminiscent of the era, with lots of colour and sparkle. Although it did confuse me a little, that the age of modern social media has been bought into the show. So, we had dated costumes to make you feel like you were back in 1992, but with the modern world of social media.
Tim Hatley designed both costumes and set. I was super impressed by the set which was big, impressive and ever changing throughout the show. Often on tour productions set is scaled back, but this definitely wasn’t the case with this production. It was of the quality you’d expect to see on any west end stage. There were also video projections used throughout the show cleverly, especially towards the end of the show.
The show ends with the whole audience on their feet bopping and singing to I Wanna Dance With Somebody.
If you love Whitney and all her classic songs and are old enough to remember the blockbuster film, this show is a definite must see. You’ll be on the edge of your seat and belting your favourite Whitney numbers in your head all at the same time!
You can watch the show at The Hawth, Crawley from Monday 24th to Saturday 29th July.
Rating: 4/5
For more information or to book tickets please visit The Bodyguard – The Hawth Crawley | Parkwood Theatres