The Bodyguard At the Liverpool Empire Review

Reviewed by Alison Rood

If you ask most ladies my age (almost 40!) to name their favourite movie, I would put money on it that the majority would name at least one of these classics; Dirty Dancing, Pretty Woman, Ghost and of course, The Bodyguard.

I am no exception – so when I was offered the chance to go and watch the production of the Bodyguard at my local theatre, the Liverpool Empire, I jumped at it. Having previously seen Dirty Dancing on the stage (I loved it!) and Ghost (no comment!) I was excited to see how this adaptation of one of my favourites would fare.

Could Melody Thornton do Whitney’s vocals justice as she steps into the role of diva Rachel? Would Ayden Callaghan be able to match Costner’s cool confidence as Frank?

Leading lady Melody admitted that despite being familiar with the songs from the soundtrack, she had never seen the film until after she had been cast for the role.

For anyone reading this review who also hasn’t seen the film, a brief synopsis; The 1992 hit The Bodyguard is centred around Rachel Marron, a mother, sister, popstar and actress who is at the height of her career. But with the highs must come the lows, and Rachel starts to receive some undesirable attention from an elusive stalker. Rachel is kept in the dark about the potential danger she is in by her team, but when the threats start to escalate, they decide to hire a bodyguard for round the clock protection. Because Rachel has no idea that her safety is at risk, she works against this new member of her entourage, resenting him for placing to many restrictions on her. She is a free willed and high functioning woman, she doesn’t do well with being told what to do! And so begins the hate turned to love relationship of Rachel and Frank.

Onto the show…… as we chatted excitedly waiting for the show to start, gunshots echoed the Liverpool Empire theatre, to say the show started with a bang would be an understatement! Melody was then straight into the role of Rachel as she blasted out Queen of the night, the first of many hits from the famous soundtrack. The costumes and lighting for this number were amazing, gold, fire, bright flashing lights. The energetic choreography and fantastic vocals got the crowd in the mood for a good show.

Throughout the production we see Rachel’s stalker hiding in the shadows, Marios Nicolades carries off this menacing role with conviction. He was especially intimidating when it came to the scene with Rachel’s son Fletcher (greatly talented for such a young actor!) later on in the show.

Emily-Mae played a great Nicki Marron (Rachel’s talented but jealous sister) and in my opinion her vocals were of the same calibre as Melody’s. If anything, I felt that her voice had more of Whitney’s grit than Melody’s did. Whilst there is no denying that Melody can belt out a tune, I at times thought that her voice sounded too sweet for the role of Rachel. That by no means takes away from her vocal performances, with the slow tempo songs such as “I wanna run to you” and “I have nothing” really showcasing her fantastic range.

Ayden Callaghan proves that he is not just a soapstar with his brilliant performance. He carried off the role of Frank Farmer perfectly – even adding in a bit of comedy during a date scene at a karaoke bar.

Despite both of their performances being fantastic throughout, I didn’t feel the chemistry between Melody and Ayden unfortunately – but with the helping hand of the stunning costumes, sets and amazing musical performances, it was still a thoroughly enjoyable show.

Of course, as the story was coming to its end, the song that everyone was waiting for began and it did not disappoint! They certainly saved the best for last and Melody looked out of this world as she took to the stage for “I will always love you” – she sung every note to perfection, much to the crowd’s delight. A great finish to a great production.

With the woops dying down and the cast having taken their bows (to a standing ovation!) the music started once again and we were encouraged to get on our feet and join in with a dance and a sing along to the hit “I wanna dance with somebody” – it was a great release from the hardship of trying to stay still throughout the show as they played a barrage of hip wiggling hits (especially “I’m every woman” and the nice addition of “Million Dollar Bill”)

Overall, I had a brilliant night watching this spectacular performance. It was a show that I will definitely go to see again in the future.

Rating: 4.5/5

Runtime: 2 hours 11 mins (inc interval)

The Bodyguard is at the Liverpool Empire from 20th March to 25th March 2023.
Tickets start at £13.00 (subject to a transaction fee)

For more information or to book tickets visit www.atgtickets.com/liverpool or call the box office on 0844 8713017.

Liverpool Empire Theatre, Lime Street, Liverpool, Merseyside, L1 1JE | 0844 8713017