@ Edinburgh Playhouse, until Sat 10 Oct 2015

Hallelujah! 2008 X Factor winner Alexandra Burke returns to the role of Rachel Marron, in the smash hit musical The Bodyguard for its two-week run at the Playhouse, although ex-Pop Idol contestant Zoe Birkett will play the role at matinee performances.

The Bodyguard, based on the 1992 iconic movie starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, tells the story of former Secret Service agent, Frank Farmer, 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.

The musical, which opened on Broadway before transferring to London’s West End, features a host of well known classics including One Moment in Time, I’m Every Woman, I Wanna Dance with Somebody, Where Do Broken Hearts Go? and, of course, I Will Always Love You.

The musical opens literally with a mighty bang of gunshots ringing out, and a big flash, which stuns the audience into nervous concentration. The opening number, with Burke as Marron, is highly choreographed, spectacular and very loud. In fact it almost imitates a stylized X-Factor final.

Burke gives a credible performance as Marron and interprets the songs in her own style, rather than trying to emulate Whitney’s versions, but it’s difficult to get the originals out of one’s head. Her voice definitely comes into its own in the slower ballads including Run To You, and this is one performer who could give Miley Cyrus a run for her money when it comes to twerking.

There’s shades of Costner in Stuart Reid as Frank Farmer but he’s not quite the real deal. His dreadful singing in the karaoke bar is, however, completely credible and comical.

The rising star of the show is Melissa James as Nicki Marron. Sister to Rachel Marron, she’s the poor relation who, as talented as her sister, never gets the limelight and sings in downtown bars. She also hankers for Farmer too, a love interest which sadly never comes to fruition. Her voice is crystal clear, with her rendition of Saving All My Love beautiful and moving.

The staging is spectacular and slick and there are some fabulous costumes changes, with Burke’s final dress of black feathers superb. Yet, this production is definitely a show of two halves. The first takes a while to warm up, but it reaches a crescendo latterly in the second, with Burke belting out all the classics with accompaniment from the audience, leaving us on a high note.

If you were a fan of the original film, this production will have you reminiscing and singing along, marvelling at just how many of the songs you know and are such classics. It’s a fun night nostalgic night out, especially appealing to the naughty forties plus generation.