The Bodyguard – Edinburgh Playhouse

A show that literally starts with a bang. The Bodyguard follows Pop sensation Rachel Marron (Melody Thornton) as she receives death threats from an obsessive fan (Marios Nicolaides), to save the pop stars life her team hire Frank (Ayden Callaghan) as her personal bodyguard. Despite their dislike for one another the situation only serves to bring the two closer together providing us with a will they won’t they love story within the midst of danger. Of course, this is all accompanied by the hits of musical legend Whitney Houston.

Visually this show is something to be seen, using techniques very rarely seen within musical theatre such as a heavy load of pre-recorded video projection used to give the show a much more sinister true crime atmosphere when discussing the stalker building suspense. The set is also quite simple leaving just enough to set the scene without overcrowding or forcing long blackouts.

It is clear that The Bodyguard is a show that thought first about what music it wanted to include and then afterwards about the actual script or transitions into said songs.  By having its lead as a pop star it has lazily fell into the same routine as a lot of other jukebox musicals, justifying songs as ‘rehearsals’ or ‘live performances’ instead of working them into the actual plot.  We spend so much of the show listening to the full Whitney Houston songs, that the actual scripting and story feel like an afterthought or a filler. This means that our non-singing characters (pretty much everyone other than the Marron sisters) fall into the background, and our “Epic Love Story” is rushed between numbers.

With the soundtrack belonging to one of the greatest pop singers of all time: Whitney Houston, it is clear that whoever takes on such songs needs to have the pipes for it. Melody Thornton can certainly sing with very strong vocals and a fantastic belt, that being said it cannot be said that she made the songs look/ sound easy. It’s easy to admit that that these are difficult songs to sing but I wasn’t blown away and facially it looked like Thornton had been struggling from time to time especially when it came to acting through song in which the former Pussycat Doll came out a little wooden and awkward. She certainly has the potential to grow as a musical theatre performer, but she still has a way to go, that being said her rendition of ‘I Will Always Love You’ was indeed a showstopper.

The real star of the show for myself was Emily-Mae who plays Nicki Marron, the leads sister, jealous and self-pitiful. Emily-Mae’s voice is simply incredible, even sitting down her vocals where smooth, powerful and yet somehow seemed effortless. Hands down in my personal opinion she has one of the best voices in the musical theatre industry at the moment and I hope to see a lot more of her in the future.

Overall, the show is entertaining and ideal for those who enjoy the works of Houston. Whilst this may not be the best written show around it is still compelling and worth a visit, there’s also a good amount of humour and cleaver direction to keep a look out for.

The Bodyguard runs at the Edinburgh Playhouse from 20th February until 25th February. https://www.atgtickets.com/venues/edinburgh-playhouse/

Reviewer: Beth Eltringham

Reviewed: 20th February 2023

North West End UK Rating: ★★★