Last night we were invited* to the opening performance of the smash musical The Bodyguard at the New Victoria Theatre in Woking, Surrey. This award-winning show has come to Woking from the West End, as part of its UK and Ireland tour.
The show first opened at the Adelphi Theatre in London and was nominated for four Olivier Awards, after its two sell-out tours. The Bodyguard has since played in 15 countries to over 3.6 million people.
*I received tickets for The Bodyguard at New Victoria Theatre, Woking in return for this review. All opinions are my own.
The Bodyguard at the New Victoria Theatre, Woking
The Bodyguard is showing at Woking from Monday 23rd to Saturday 28th October 2023.
The performance starts at 7.30pm and the running time is 2h 11 with an interval.
The story of the Bodyguard
The Bodyguard is a stage adaptation of the 1982 Oscar nominated film starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner.
It tells the story of former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, who has to protect superstar Rachel Marron from a devious stalker.
Rachel is a hot-headed diva and doesn’t welcome his intervention or the disruption to her celebrity lifestyle. However, she eventually changes her mind when she realises the risks are real and her family is in danger. It’s a romantic thriller, with an inevitable ending that they both fall in love.
Emily Williams plays the lead character, Rachel Marron. This Australian singer rose to fame after coming in as runner-up on Australian Idol. Afterwards, she joined Australian girl band, Young Divas, before following a solo career.
Soap star, Ayden Callagahan, joins Emily, in the role of her bodyguard, Frank Farmer. Ayden became famous for his roles in Emmerdale and Hollyoaks. Alongside Emily and Ayden are a host of talented actors and dancers, including Emily-Mae who plays the sister, Nicky.
Our review
If you like the film, you’ll love the musical show. It’s an energetic performance with a full line up of Whitney Houston’s classic soul hits within the story line. Plus, there’s a great team of dancers, so it’s easy to imagine you are actually at a Whitney concert.
Emily Williams and Emily-Mae both have strong voices that fill the auditorium and Ayden Callaghan carries his role as Frank Farmer superbly. In addition, Rachel Murran’s young son, Fletcher, is an absolute star and wins the audience over from beginning to end.
Throughout the show, you can enjoy hit after hit. The musical features all the timeless Whitney classics including “Saving all my Love”, “Queen of the Night”, “One Moment in Time” and of course, “I will always love you”. To be honest, I’d forgotten how many top ten singles she’d had.
The audience are asked to refrain from singing along. However, you’ll get the chance to join in during the sparkling finale with “I want to dance with somebody”.
Click here to find out more about the Bodyguard and book tickets on the New Victoria Theatre Website.
We’re lucky to live near the New Victoria Theatre, as it gets the top shows from London, without the journey! We can get there in under half an hour and park within a few minutes’ walk of the theatre. This all adds to a fantastic evening.
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