BWW Reviews: THE BODYGUARD, King's Theatre, Glasgow, March 5 2015

Based on the 1992 film of the same name, The Bodyguard is a romantic thriller starring Alexandra Burke. As global superstar Rachel Marron, an obsessed fan begins to stalk her and threaten her life. Frank Farmer is hired as Marron's bodyguard and the pair fall for each other. Their happiness is short-lived, however, as her stalker will stop at nothing to get what he wants.

I missed out on The Bodyguard during its West End run but I can't imagine the production has been scaled down for the tour. Everything about this show is spectacular. During the concert scenes you almost feel as though you have been transported from The King's Theatre to the O2 arena. The sets are absolutely incredible and the transitions are seamless.

Having not seen the movie, I wasn't aware beforehand that The Bodyguard was a thriller. The suspense is created very effectively - I nearly hit the ceiling on several occasions! Burke is excellent in the role of Rachel Marron and leads a strong supporting cast. I especially enjoyed Melissa James as Nicki Marron; her performance was stunning. Mike Denman was terrifying in the role of the stalker, and it saddens me that he was met with boos at the curtain call. While he is indeed the "bad guy" of the show, it is not a pantomime!

While The Bodyguard is technically a jukebox musical, it doesn't really feel like one. The songs are all ones that you know but they haven't been shoehorned into the script. The production values in this musical are incredibly high and it makes for a wonderful night at the theatre.

The Bodyguard is at The King's Theatre, Glasgow until March 14th and then on tour around the UK.