Based on the 1992 film, The Bodyguard follows superstar singer Rachel Marron as she hires former Secret Service agent Frank Farmer to protect her from a dangerous stalker. This touring production at Curve grabs your attention from the opening seconds and barely loosens its grip for the rest of the evening.
Rachel’s opening number arrives as a full pyrotechnic spectacle, immediately establishing both her celebrity and the scale of the production. While the concert-style moments deliver the expected Whitney Houston hits, Sidonie Smith’s strongest work comes in the quieter scenes. Her vocal power is most impressive not during the showstopping performances, but in Rachel’s more vulnerable moments, when the character believes herself unobserved. Smith convincingly charts Rachel’s evolution, moving from a headstrong, almost dismissive superstar, seemingly in denial about the danger surrounding her, to someone forced to confront reality as her relationship with Frank deepens.
Adam Garcia brings a suitably restrained presence to Frank Farmer, playing the elusive bodyguard with understated authority. The chemistry between Frank and Rachel develops naturally as the pair gradually lower their defences around one another. However, the production occasionally muddies that emotional arc by hinting at an initial attraction between Frank and Nicki, which slightly complicates the central romance without ever being fully explored.
Sasha Monique gives depth to Nicki, Rachel’s overlooked but equally talented sister. The siblings’ relationship is layered with quiet resentment, but always underpinned by genuine love and support.
James Lee Harris makes for a genuinely sinister stalker, helping sustain the production’s growing sense of unease. Thea Sharrock’s direction and the production’s staging build tension effectively throughout, combining Duncan McLean’s video design, Karen Bruce’s choreography, and Charlie Ingles’ musical arrangements to keep the audience on edge.
That tension is balanced with moments of warmth and humour. A karaoke sequence -made all the funnier by watching obviously talented performers deliberately butcher songs – is a particular highlight, while the gradual softening between Frank and Rachel gives the spectacle genuine emotional grounding.
Staging many of the musical numbers as performances within the world of the show allows the ensemble to shine and pays tribute to Whitney Houston’s catalogue, though it occasionally blurs the narrative flow.
The pace is largely strong, although the aftermath of Nicki’s death feels surprisingly hurried. The production moves on before the emotional weight of the moment has fully landed, leaving little space for either the characters or the audience to process the loss. It is one of the few points where the show sacrifices emotional resonance in favour of momentum.
The audience response reflected the show’s infectious energy throughout the evening, culminating in an enthusiastic singalong curtain call that sent the audience out on a high.
The Bodyguard runs at Curve until 16th May 2026: https://www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/the-bodyguard-2/
****
Katie Reviews 