The Bodyguard

A major new musical The Bodyguard in London, based on Lawrence Kasdan's 1992 Warner Bros. film of the same name. The stage musical production stars Heather Headley as 'Rachel Marron', Lloyd Owen as 'Frank Farmer' and Debbie Kurup as 'Nicki' and is directed by Thea Sharrock with designs by Tim Hatley.

"Tremendously enjoyable" The Independent

Former Secret Service agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer, is hired to protect superstar Rachel Marron from an unknown stalker. Each expects to be in charge - what they don't expect is to fall in love. Features the songs 'Queen of the Night'; 'So Emotional'; 'One Moment in Time'; 'Saving All My Love'; 'I'm Your Baby Tonight'; 'Run to You'; 'I Have Nothing'; 'How Will I Know'; 'Jesus Loves Me'; 'I Wanna Dance With Somebody' and one of the greatest hit songs of all time - 'I Will Always Love You'.

"Thea Sharrock directs with inventiveness" The London Evening Standard

The cast for The Bodyguard in London features Heather Headley as 'Rachel Marron' and Lloyd Owen as 'Frank Farmer' with Gloria Onitiri as alternate 'Rachel Marron'. Please note that the producers of The Bodyguard cannot guarantee the appearance of any particular artist, which is always subject to illness and holidays. Heather Headley is expected to appear at all performances excluding all Wednesdays matinees at 3.00pm, Friday matinees at 5.00pm and Saturday matinees at 3.00pm and all performances from Monday 18 to Saturday 23 March 2013, Monday 13 to Saturday 15 May 2013, Monday 17 to Wednesday 19 June 2013 and Monday 15 to Wednesday 17 July 2013 inclusive, she will leave the cast on Saturday 10 August 2013. Lloyd Owen will not appear from Monday 25 to Saturday 30 March 2013, Thursday 25 to Saturday 27 April 2013, Monday 27 May 2013, Saturday 1 June 2013, Thursday 20 June 2013 and Monday 1 to Saturday 6 July 2013 inclusive, he will leave the cast on Saturday 7 September 2013. All dates are subject to change without notice.

"Spectacularly and ingeniously designed by Tim Hatley" The Daily Telegraph

"Lawrence Kasdan's 1992 film was a highlight of Whitney Houston's career. The move from film to stage musical is often a bumpy ride, but it's greatly eased by the sassy American star Heather Headley, who is clearly not intimidated by the late singer's shadow... Houston's soulful ballads are fine when Rachel is performing on stage, but they fare less well when they are shoehorned into the story without the irony of Mamma Mia!. Thea Sharrock's production contains plenty of spectacle without much emotional engagement. Fortunately, there is always Headley's stunning performance to admire, especially when she rips the roof off hitting the high notes of I Will Always Love You." The Sunday Times

"Heather Headley is mesmerising" The London Evening Standard

"Now the story of a singing superstar who falls for her bodyguard has been turned into a musical that's packed with many of the hits the late diva made famous. Heather Headley plays singer Rachel Marron while Lloyd Owen is the hunk hired to protect her. Both are superb performers and the chemistry between them is completely convincing... Headley's I Will Always Love You, was just as good as Whitney's and her finale of I Wanna Dance With Somebody had the whole audience on their feet. The Bodyguard should run and run." The Sunday Mirror

Heather Headley - "a thrilling star performance" The Daily Telegraph

"In the West End's schlocky, musical rejig of The Bodyguard, based on the Whitney Houston/Kevin Costner movie, and staged by Thea Sharrock... Lloyd Owen giving us another of his strong, silent, stiff-as-board stereotypes. Heather Headley does storming renditions of Houston's greatest hits in spangly outfits and a blaze of spinning lights. There's strong support, too, from Debbie Kurup as Rachel's undervalued sister, but the plot is ludicrous and the dialogue the boiled-down gloop from Hollywood's knacker's yard of cliché." The Independent on Sunday

"If the plot - two tough cookies tough it out - doesn't actually grip, the show is a bit fuller than the seriously thin original film, largely to incorporate 14 congs (plus an extra one cleverly saved to get everyone on their feet for the curtain call)... Cheese has rarely been packaged with so much glitz. Director Thea Sharrock has pulled out all the stops... There's some truly stunning dancing, including a tango and a body-popping sequence, pop-concert lighting and fabulous detail: Rachel's extravagant hats match her embroidered, bejewelled corsets. But the show sounds even better than it looks. Heather Headley's Rachel, a tigeress who turns pussycat too quickly, is more convincing as a singer than an actor, her beautiful, belting voice hitting every high note. Debbie Kurup, who plays her resentful sister Nicki, is even more soulful and expressive... Formulaic and mechanical as this show is, it's impressively polished and undeniably slick." The Mail on Sunday

"US recording artist Heather Headley sounds and looks fabulous as Rachel Marron, a pop megastar stalked by an obsessive fan. Headley soars through the ballads and upbeat numbers with Whitney Houston's intonations, though her character only really comes alive when she's singing. Marron's bodyguard/love interest, Frank Farmer (Lloyd Owne in the Kevin Costner role), mostly sidesteps the music (aside from a stilted karaoke scene( but he's well equipped with dry quips and action man clinches. While the lung-busting cover of I Will Always Love You is obviously the money shot, The Bodyguard boasts plenty of well-arranged gems all bolstered by a zingy supporting cast. It's unabasedly fluffy but helplessly feel-good - and it sweeps you away with a sax riff ringing in your ears" The Metro

Although Lawrence Kasdan's screenplay The Bodyguard was originally written for Steve McQueen and Diana Ross, when the film was released in 1992 is starred Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston. The stage musical version has been adapted for the stage by Alexander Dinelaris and is directed by Thea Sharrock with choreography by Arthur Pita, designs by Tim Hatley, lighting by Mark Henderson and sound by Richard Brooker.

Heather Headley will be making her West End stage debut as 'Rachel Marron' in this production. She originated the role of 'Nala' in Disney's The Lion King on Broadway. She won the Tony Award for Best Actress in a Musical for playing the title role in Aida. In addition to her stage work, Heather has released a number of solo albums with her third album, Audience of One, winning the Grammy Award for Best Contemporary R&B Gospel Album.

The director Thea Sharrock - a self-professed huge Whitney Houston fan - says regarding the stage production: "I thought that the very difficult job of how to adapt it for the stage was exceptionally and very excitingly and incredibly freshly done by Alexander Dinelaris with a very generous hand of Lawrence Kasdan who has been the most amazing influence and generous partner in all of this, because this is his baby and he wrote this 35 years ago and he is getting a chance to re-discover it and the support he has given all of us is really amazing."

The musical The Bodyguard in London at the Adelphi Theatre previewed from 6 November 2012 and opened on 5 December 2012.