The Bodyguard The Musical at Norwich Theatre Royal review: Musical starring Pop Idol’s Zoe Birkett and soap star Ayden Callaghan is great end-of-summer night out

The Bodyguard The Musical – Theatre Royal, Norwich

This absolute banger of a musical will surely pack them into Norwich’s leading theatre this week.

World famous from the 1992 film which starred Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, the score is sublime with tracks including I Have Nothing, Run To You and the classic I Will Always Love You.

Pop Idol’s Zoe Birkett executes all the songs with power and precision, playing the vulnerable superstar singer Rachel Marron with ease while soap favourite Ayden Callaghan does an excellent strong and silent type as her bodyguard Frank Farmer.

There’s a lot of plot to cram into just over two hours - and all those terrific songs - so the storyline is rushed a little and we don’t build up too much rapport with characters.

But Rachel’s son, Fletcher, played by Sam Stephens, was charming and had both the voice and the moves for a great career while Emily-Mae as Rachel’s sister Nicki had a glorious voice, and her duets with Zoe Birkett were simply beautiful.

There are some great dance routines, a slick set, plenty of special effects and a good line in knitwear (you’ll know what this means if you’ve ever seen the movie!) which all combine for a great end-of-summer slightly soppy night out.

The Bodyguard continues until Saturday. Visit www.norwichtheatre.org

Review by Sarah Hardy