The Bodyguard The Musical has landed at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford and if you only see one musical this year, it should be this one! Headlined by the immensely talented Melody Thornton as the famous singer, 'Rachel Marron' the audience watched in awe as Whitney Houston's anthems filled the auditorium with perfection.
Aside from spending hours gushing over Melody's obvious talent and star quality, it's hard to know where to begin reviewing a show that, from start to finish, was one of the most exeptional pieces of Musical Theatre I have ever seen.
The show starts with a bang, the action ensues immediately and you are quickly immersed in the world of both Rachel Marron and Frank Farmer (Ayden Callaghan), a.k.a. The Bodyguard. Not a moment is wasted on stage with action packed and emotion fuelled drama taking centre stage second by second.
The set design and the graphics are incredible and give us an almost CSI insight into the identity of The Stalker, played chillingly well by Marios Nicolaides, who is living proof that you don't need a lot of lines to make a huge impact on a show. His physicality was intimidating and the audience were very fearful each time he appeared, to the point of a nervous laughter rippling among the audience in expectation of what he might do next.
Emily - Mae, who played Nicki Marron, the overlooked Marron sister, was superb. Her vocals were incredible and she even sounded like Whitney Houston at times. She brought so much emotion to the role and I really found myself routing for her. It would have been easy to step into the territory of "bitter" with a character like this, but she maintained the line of sibling jealousy and family loyalty very well.
Ayden Callaghan was a suitably serious Frank Farmer, exuding authority and professionalism in his field, whilst giving us an authentic love story between himself and Rachel Marron. Depsite his aloof exterior, he gave us glimpses of his humanity, especially in regards to Rachel and her son, Fletcher, who definitely brought the cute factor. The confidence these child actors have always amazes me, and with a son of a similar age myself, I found myself feeling like a proud mama each time he came on stage.
The supporting cast played their roles so thoughtfully and each cast member had a crucial part to play in the storyline. Sometimes, in musicals, the "ensemble" can seem almost supurfluous to the action, almost a light relief of song and dance in between scenes. However, in this show, every person and every moment on stage was carefully placed, thoughtfully performed and expertly executed. There was not a moment in this show that was not thrilling. For the first time ever, seeing a musical, it got to the interval and I thought they had made a mistake; it felt like we had only been watching for 10 minutes, but it had been a full hour.
The set was perfect, transitioning from stage, to bar, to bedroom, to home so beautifully. The lighting and sound design was so atmospheric, giving us moments of introspection and vulnerability and then suddenly transporting us to area performances.
Before I sign off, I must just double back to Melody Thornton. A former Pussycat Doll, her experience and Pop Star expertise shines on this stage. She brings her full triple threat background to the role and whilst wowing us with her equisite vocals and dance skills, she retains the heart and the warmth of the character, showing us her journey from jaded pop star, to devoted mother, to a lost soul in desperate need of something, someone real to connect to.
As someone who has seen and performed in many musicals, I can honestly say, hand on heart, that this is the best musical I have ever seen. It has been playing in my head ever since I left the auditorium and I don't want it to stop. The audience left on a high, with a palpable buzz in the air and I truly recommend going to see it for yourself.
It is performing at The Orchard Theatre, Dartford until Saturday 1st April. Not one to miss.
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