Australian recording star plays lead role in The Bodyguard musical in Sheffield

Emily, who rose to fame on Australian Pop Idol and as a singer with girl group Young Divas, stars as Rachel Marron in the show at the Lyceum Theatre from October 10 to 14, 2023.

The Bodyguard pairs Emily with Ayden Callaghan of Emmerdale and Hollyoaks fame who is cast as Frank Farmer.

Emily first played the role of Rachel in Australia in 2017. She said: “I was more excited to be singing the songs than understanding and connecting deeply to the character of Rachel Marron. To get to come back and dive completely into my interpretation of Rachel, I now understand her so much better. I feel like the UK and Ireland tour are going to get the best of me in this role.

"Rachel Marron is strong, she’s an incredible performer, a beautiful mother, and very protective of the people around her. She’s someone that thought she knew what was going on around her, and was in control of everything, but comes to realise that she doesn’t have full control of certain parts of her career. That’s the moment where you see the vulnerability, that’s where you see her crash and explore parts of herself that she wouldn’t show the public.”

The Bodyguard is packed with the hits of Whitney Houston. Rachel said: “I like singing ‘The Greatest Love of All’, because when I sit down and sing it, it’s so cliché, but it’s so honest to me. The song gets me the most, because it’s who I am on the inside, and it’s nice to be able to express that honestly to the people listening. There are so many other songs in the show that are full-out and solid, but with this one you have to really come down into yourself and let the audience see a moment of truth.”

Coincidentally, the first song Emily recorded after she was runner-up in the final of Australian Pop Idol 2005 was ‘I Will Always Love You.’

Emily is the younger sister of famous singer Lavinia Wlliams and has been exposed to the music industry since an early age. She said: “ At the age of 13, I opened for Tina Turner alongside her because her group, Ma-V-Elle, were so big - they were the first Polynesian group in New Zealand to break out, so they were opening for a lot of amazing people. I met a lot of famous people while I was still a young girl.”

Limited tickets are on sale for The Bodyguard at Sheffield Lyceum. Go to www.sheffieldtheatres.co.uk