The Bodyguard star Ayden Callaghan wants to see fans up, dancing and singing at His Majesty’s Theatre – but not until the finale.
The actor, who plays bodyguard Frank Farmer in the smash musical, was speaking after the show hit the headlines when rowdy fans forced a performance in Manchester to stop early by singing over the cast throughout the performance.
At the time, Ayden hit out at the minority in the audience who ruined the night by belting out Whitney Houston numbers, but now says the sorry episode has been spoken about enough.
‘Majority of audiences have been nothing but brilliant’
“The majority of our audiences, 99.9% in every place have been nothing but brilliant, it’s just sometimes unfortunate things happen,” said the actor who is starring in the West End smash alongside Pussycat Doll, Melody Thornton.
“So my message to people in Aberdeen is we want you to come along, take it all in and enjoy it to the fullest. Then let’s hear what you’ve got when it comes to the finale. That’s when we want to see you up out your seats, singing and dancing along with us.”
Ayden promises Aberdeen audiences are in for a treat when The Bodyguard arrives at His Majesty’s next week, with hit after hit in this musical version of the iconic film, starring Whitney and Kevin Costner, which follows the love story between a pop diva and her bodyguard.
Expect thrills, romance and action
“You can expect thrills, spills, romance, laughs, action – it’s really a piece that has got it all and at the core of it are these wonderful songs performed to an absolute word- class level,” he said.
“People come with the expectation of it maybe being a jukebox musical, but they will find out its much, much more than that. It’s a great story.”
Ayden, who became a household name through starring roles in Emmerdale and Hollyoaks, is a self-confessed fan of the film and both its stars. He says it’s a joy for him to be able to hear Whitney’s classic night after night.
“That’s the music I grew up with. What’s interesting is listening to it from the side every night and thinking ‘oh wow, this is a great song … oh, wow, this is a great song, too’. You kind of forget what an incredible artist she is and what incredible music she created. It is iconic and embedded in our culture and our society.”
‘She is a phenomenal singing talent’
And he reckons Melody is knocking it out of the park.
“She is absolutely stunning and never fails to knock me sideways. I’m sure everyone saw her on the recent TV show, Big Night Of Musicals, and we get to see that every single night,” he said.
“Not only is she a phenomenal singing talent, but what she brings as an actress, the emotion and the truth to the songs and to the scenes is just a pleasure to watch.”
Ayden is bringing all his acting skills to bear in making Frank Farmer his own, after the character was so famously portrayed by Costner.
“People often ask how do you feel about doing someone else’s role? But if you play Hamlet or any other role from any other play or musical, these are roles that have been done hundreds and thousands of times. All you can do is bring your own interpretation.
‘People love the music’
“No one wants to see me doing an imitation of Kevin Costner,” said Ayden, adding he is taking a different approach to the character.
“In the story he’s almost Superman, almost indestructible and infallible. For me it was finding out where his fragility is and where his humanity is. What are his hopes and dreams and why does he deny himself those things. Why this moment in time – to borrow some words from the song lyrics – is he unable to keep that in a lockbox.”
It must be working because The Bodyguard has been playing to packed houses across the UK. So, why is it so popular?
“I think people love the music and I think for people of a certain generation the film is iconic. People are attracted to a love story and what’s great about this love story is it’s a bit different. It’s bittersweet.”
And now Ayden hopes Aberdeen audiences will enjoy The Bodyguard just as much.
“Come out in your droves because we want to see a packed auditorium out there. We just want you to have the best time and enjoy this production, because everyone in the cast and crew love and cherish it.”
The Bodyguard is at His Majesty’s Theatre from Tuesday May 2 to Saturday May 6. For more information and tickets visit aberdeenperformingarts.com or call Aberdeen Box Office on 01224 641122.