‘I’ve got the stuff that you want’ – The Bodyguard, Orchard Theatre, Dartford. 27.03.2023

This one had a lot to live up to. The Bodyguard is one of my all-time favourite films, Whitney Houston practically invented the term ‘powerhouse’, and I was devastated when it closed in the West End before I had a chance to see it. No pressure.

If you haven’t seen the film, former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard Frank Farmer is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from a stalker who has been sending threatening letters. They both expect to be in charge, but they don’t expect to fall in love.

I have to confess, there was a split second in the opening number where I thought this wasn’t going to live up to the film. They opened with a bang, starting with ‘Queen of the Night’ – my favourite song – and it was slightly underwhelming in terms of vocals. However, based on the rest of the performance this was clearly a hiccup. I think perhaps the combination of high-energy dancing and the handheld mic didn’t best showcase Melody Thornton’s fantastic voice as Rachel Marron.

And it is fantastic. Melody Thornton absolutely has the stuff that you want for this role. She doesn’t try to imitate Whitney too exactly, and she demonstrates her own extraordinary talent in songs such as ‘I Have Nothing’ and ‘One Moment in Time’. She smashes ‘I Will Always Love You’ in the finale. It’s no mean feat either, in the role of Rachel Marron Melody has to carry the show, doing at least 80% of the singing.

The only other singing, other than a brief and very heart-warming few lines from Frankie Keita as Fletcher and a comically awkward karaoke performance from Ayden Callaghan as Frank Farmer, was done by Emily-Mae as Nicki Marron. Relatively unknown, Emily-Mae is clearly a rising star and one to watch in the future. Her voice is comfortably on a par with Melody’s and they perform beautifully together in their duets.

Beyond that it is the acting and dancing that brings the show together. Kayne Gordon stood out as one of strongest dancers on stage, although little Frankie Keita also looks like he might have a good future in that department.

The actors all played their roles very well and in line with how the characters are played in the movie. Ayden Callaghan captures Frank Farmer’s stiff, deadpan attitude; John Macauley as Bill Devaney emulates the trusting relationship he and Rachel have; Graham Elwell is hardman head of security Tony Scibelli; and James Groom captures Sy Spector’s annoying fame for thirst and power.

The show starts with a literal bang of a gunshot which most of the audience weren’t ready for and had the potential to cause a heart attack. Marios Nicolaides as The Stalker provided the show’s creepy moments, causing everyone in the audience (yet again) to jump about three feet into the air when he appears in the doorway and ultimately kills Nikki, leading to a moving scene between her and Rachel.

Overall, this small cast delivers something phenomenal. Melody Thornton gave it her all, and the cast do a terrific job of supporting her in the role of Rachel Marron. Emily-Mae also shines and I can’t wait to see what she goes onto next.

The Bodyguard is on at The Orchard Theatre in Dartford until Saturday 1 April 2023. Tickets can be bought here. I highly recommend booking now if you want to see it – last night’s performance was packed, and I hear it’s selling out fast for the rest of the week.