This is our review of The Bodyguard at Liverpool’s Empire Theatre!
Description Of The Bodyguard
This international, award-winning musical kicks off its nationwide tour in Liverpool. You will get to see Pussycat Doll and multi-platinum Grammy-nominated Melody Thornton as Rachel Marron and soap star Ayden Callaghan as Frank Farmer.
It’s a show that has everything: drama, romance and songs many of us know and love. The Bodyguard started its life as a romantic drama/thriller film in the early nineties but has since grown into an award-winning musical. And now it’s your chance to experience this marvelous musical for yourself!
Performances
Opening night nerves were hard to detect as the performance given by each actor was fantastic. From dramatic, tense monologues to sweeter, intimate moments, each line had heart and prompted gasps, laughs, and chattering from the audience.
Melody Thornton shines as Rachel, who is sassy on stage and vulnerable and motherly off it. This blends perfectly with Ayden Callaghan’s stern, but gradually softening Frank. Emily-Mae’s Nicki Marron is also a stand-out, though she is not the sister in the spotlight, her vocal performance proved equally joyous to behold.
Whilst it was impossible not to be wowed by the musical elements weaved throughout, it was the gradual romance and captivating thriller elements of this play that had the audience gripped to the end. The glitzy performances were memorable but a standout moment was watching a trio of girls very enthusiastically butcher ‘How Will I Know?”at a karaoke bar, with an equally funny (and pretty poor) vocal performance from Frank – a nice bit of comic relief to cut through the serious undertones of the musical.
Analysis Of The Bodyguard
With a packed opening night, anticipation was high for the Empire Theatre’s The Bodyguard. The performance went well as expected, with plenty of surprises from the offset.
The staging was interesting as it seamlessly weaved from glamorous stages to gritty scenes and back to the warm, mundane family setting. This enabled the audience to see all elements of the play (romance, family, and suspense) in one place.
The contrast in colours in the play, from bright colours during Rachel’s performances to darker colours as we discover the stalker and the extent of their obsession, brilliantly sets the tone.
Summary Of The Bodyguard
So, all in all, this production of The Bodyguard is a must-see for any musical lover. Whether you know the story or not, it’s impossible not to immerse in this performance.
Thea Sharrocks’ direction starts off with a bang (quite literally) and ends with a dazzling selection of dance numbers including I Wanna Dance With Somebody. A problem in the audience halted the performance. But as soon as it was resolved and the play resumed, the audience was in awe of the talent in front of them.
