Adam Garcia tells us why he can’t wait for The Bodyguard to arrive at Liverpool Empire

Australian actor, singer and dancer, Adam Garcia is taking on a new challenge as Frank Farmer in the UK and Europe tour of the award-winning smash-hit musical The Bodyguard, coming to Liverpool Empire from June 15th-20th.

As he prepares to take the stage, we caught up with Garcia to talk bodyguard instincts, what gets him dancing, and life on the road. 

The musical is based on the Oscar-nominated movie starring Whitney Houston and Kevin Costner and features a host of irresistible classics including Queen of the Night, I Have Nothing, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and one of the biggest hit songs of all time – I Will Always Love You.

What’s your take on Frank Farmer as a character and are you anything like him?

Frank is resolute, loyal and honourable. He’s kind of quiet and speaks when he needs to. He’s efficient, well-trained and possibly slightly jaded, but he’s a good man. Am I anything like him? [Laughs] Not at all! I was speaking to my wife about this and she was like ‘Now, if you could just be like Frank…’ The same thing happened when I did a show called If/Then and she said ‘The guy you played was really lovely…’ so maybe it’ll wash off!

What made you say yes to The Bodyguard?

I remember seeing opening night when it first played the Adelphi in London and I loved it. I was intrigued because I enjoyed the film so much because it’s about relationships, plus of course it’s got that legendary soundtrack. Then what really drew me in about the musical is that it really works and I think it surprises people. The choreography is amazing, as is the way it’s staged and structured. To transpose that from film to stage is not easy because the film is grand gestures and small gestures at the same time. The show is really successful at conveying all of that.

What do you think makes this such a compelling story?

Because it’s about heroes and villains, and it’s about how these two people are drawn to one another yet it’s forbidden love. There’s something about the need of these two people and yet they’re not meant to have this, which is quite a beautiful story. I guess you can go into tropes but there’s a sort of fantasy element of a knight in shining armour or someone always there in the background to take care of you and your family. That’s got romantic overtones too. I’m looking forward to delving into how Frank and Rachel contrast, why they get on, why they might not get on and where the friction is, because that’s the exciting bit. You can’t just be like ‘Oh I love you, let’s go!’ because that’s never that interesting.

The Bodyguard features an incredible soundtrack. Do you have a favourite number in the show?

I’ve always loved I Wanna Dance with Somebody. I grew up with that song and watching the dancers in the video. If I’m out somewhere and it comes on then I’m up and dancing, straight away, no problem, no questions asked.

You quit university to star in Hot Shoe Shuffle. Presumably you have no regrets about that?

No, none, although every now and then I look at universities or online universities to see whether I can still do a degree in ecology or soil biology. I was interested in mangroves and intertidal environments, of which there are lots in England because it’s an island. And I love soil biology. I think it’s a really important part of agriculture.

You came to fame in the musical version of Saturday Night Fever back in 1998. What are your memories of that time?

It was a blur at the time, and it has sort of crystallised the older I’ve got. I don’t remember the fatigue of it all but when I went into the Palladium recently I saw the scale of it, whereas when I was there in Saturday Night Fever it didn’t occur to me how big or how monumental it was. I think that was a benefit, otherwise it would have overwhelmed me. I just got on with the job.

What have been your favourite jobs since then?

I loved playing Fiyero in Wicked, where I got to work with the incredible Idina Menzel. Working 

with Trevor Nunn on Kiss Me, Kate was another highlight because it was such a beautiful show and I got to work with choreographer Stephen Mear, musical director Gareth Valentine and Hannah Waddingham. I did a play called Twilight Song, which I thought was a really lovely play, and doing Birdy was amazing because it was my first play. I did a TV show called Camp in Australia and a series called The Serpent Queen for Starz, which was my first experience of doing a costume period drama with swords and battles. Being a judge on Got to Dance was fun because I got to meet Ashley Banjo and Kimberly Wyatt, who are now friends. That’s what you collect from doing all these different things – friendships.

Has all that dancing lead to any injuries?

I’ve been lucky, touch wood. On Singin’ in the Rain I had a torn calf, which was a 12-week out to recover and then I was back. But other than that I’ve had nothing that’s really restricted me and I still get to dance, which is pretty surprising for a 52-year-old.

Do you think you’d make a good bodyguard for real?

Yes and no. Many years ago I went to a club in London that was really hard to get into. There was a table that I really wanted to sit at so I pretended to be a bodyguard for some other people who were there. It was all about the attitude of being unflinching and scanning the room, and I did manage to get a good couple of feet in front of me where no one would come into the same space. They assumed the people I was pretending to be guarding were important. I don’t actually think that they were, but it was about creating an illusion or a presence of power and authority. So after that I can say that I’ve had a taste of it!

What do you enjoy about touring with a show?

The real joy is getting to see the country and getting to see different audiences and how they respond. For me, it’s also about going to really lovely old theatres and phenomenal theatre towns where audiences love plays and musicals and the venues are packed every night, and it’s about visiting relatively new theatres. The theatre scene and the touring scene around the UK seem really healthy to me, with audiences who support their local theatres and go regularly, so I’m very grateful for that.

What’s the one thing you couldn’t be on the road without?

I have a very special backpack that I’ve been touring with for a while. It’s really efficient and it packs everything I need. I also have a suitcase that goes on the bus, of course, but I like my trusty backpack. That and a set of good headphones.

Tickets for The Bodyguard can be purchased here.

Find more great theatre shows in Liverpool here.

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