The queen of the night: The Bodyguard heading to Wolverhampton Grand
America’s Got Talent star Jenlee Shallow and X Factor winner Alexandra Burke will take turns playing the lead role of Rachel Marron when The Bodyguard rolls into Wolverhampton’s Grand Theatre from Tuesday until July 6.
Joining them will be Benoit Marechal as Frank Farmer, Micha Richardson as Nicki Marron, Peter Landi as Bill Devaney, Craig Berry as Tony, Gary Turner as Sy Spector, Phil Atkinson as The Stalker and Simon Cotton as Ray Court.
The play will no doubt be familiar to many – not only because of a triumphant tour which ended three years ago, but because of the 1992 blockbuster movie starring Kevin Costner and Whitney Houston which inspired the show.
It tells the story of former Secret Service agent-turned-bodyguard Frank Farmer, who 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. A romantic thriller, The Bodyguard features a host of irresistible classics including Queen of the Night, So Emotional, One Moment in Time, Saving All My Love, Run to You, I Have Nothing, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and one of the biggest hit songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.
Londoner Burke is returning to the role of Rachel Marron following her triumphant run in the show in both the West End and the subsequent sell out 2015/2016 tour.
She first rose to fame after winning the fifth series of The X Factor and her debut number one single Hallelujah sold over one million copies in the UK, a first for a British female soloist.
She most recently appeared as Svetlana in Chess at the London Coliseum and as Roxie in Chicago at the West End’s Phoenix Theatre.
In 2017 she reached the final of Strictly Come Dancing.
Her other theatre credits include Deloris Van Cartier in the national tour of the musical Sister Act.
Jennlee Shallow’s many theatre credits include Nala in The Lion King in both Australia and Germany, Deena in Dreamgirls and Sarah in Ragtime.
She has also performed in the Cirque du Soleil shows Kooza and Viva Elvis.
Directed by Thea Sharrock with book by Oscar winning (Birdman) Alex Dinelaris, had its world premiere at the Adelphi Theatre in London’s West End in 2012 and was nominated for four Olivier Awards.
A sell out 18-month UK and Ireland tour followed, before the show returned to the West End at the Dominion Theatre.
The Bodyguard has also played in the Netherlands, Germany, South Korea, Canada, Italy, Australia, Madrid, France, and on tour throughout the US and can currently be seen in Stuttgart.
