The Bodyguard: The Musical, which stops at the New Theatre this week, is a blend of two genres that require their audiences to suspend disbelief more than most: a jukebox musical and a romantic thriller.

Originally a star vehicle for Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner, the plot goes like this: when world-famous singer/actress Rachel Marron is threatened by an unknown stalker, secret service agent turned bodyguard Frank Farmer cautiously agrees to protect her. The two immediately clash as Frank has a low opinion of celebrities, believing them all spoiled and frivolous, whilst Rachel resents anyone telling her how to run her life. This power struggle is eventually put to bed - literally, as the two work out their issues between the sheets. Meanwhile, Marron’s stalker lies in wait.

You may or may not be surprised that The Bodyguard is the top-selling movie soundtrack of all time. The musical takes full advantage of this, with almost every scene featuring a track of Houston’s, even more than the film. One thing is inarguable: Whitney Houston’s skyscraper of a voice leaves pretty big shoes for any performer to fill. Luckily, Emily Williams’ Rachel is more than up for the task here, hitting difficult notes with ease. The same can be said for Emily-Mae, who plays Rachel’s sister Nikki and is wisely given several songs.

And while there’s no weak link vocally in the whole production, special props need to be given to nine-year-old Kaylen Luke, who plays Rachel’s son, Fletcher. From singing to dancing to delivering lines with humour and sincerity, the kid is a marvel across the board.

As for Frank Farmer, Ayden Callaghan plays him with a steady, compelling intensity. He and Williams as Marron have solid chemistry, but this feels sadly underexplored. There’s a plot point in the film where tensions between Frank and Rachel’s other security guard, Tony, erupt into a brawl. Here, that’s replaced with an unconvincingly rushed love triangle between Nikki, Frank and Rachel. Although Emily-Mae as Nikki sells the plotline with everything she’s got, I found myself wishing that time could have been used to deepen and enrich the dynamic of the two leads further.

As it is, there’s little depth, context, or richness beneath the sleek and shimmering surfaces of this show, to the point where it's unclear at first what era it's set in. The show opens with a series of projections across the stage, with a very stylised, nineties Bond look, and the recording studio equipment seen in one scene has a distinct nineties vibe to it. But karaoke bars and Instagram push us firmly back into the present.

There are some thoughtful touches, however, such as Nikki and Rachel at one point serenading Fletcher with ‘Jesus Loves Me’ - a nod to Houston’s own deeply Christian childhood. Another high point is the vibrantly impressive dancing from the ensemble throughout.

My heart warmed further toward The Bodyguard on stage after I watched the film. The director and writer here simply weren’t given that much to work with, and issues around plotting and pace were equally prevalent onscreen. In that spirit, what made the film so thoroughly enjoyable, even as it was critically panned, is kept alive and honoured here. There are the stunning musical numbers, genuine suspense and the iconic, swoon-worthy moment where Marron is literally swept off her feet by Farmer and transported to safety. And above all else, there’s Whitney, proving she is, eternally, Queen of the Night.