Accolades for Gqeberha’s Whitney Houston

Respected South African singing star to follow in Whitney Houston’s footsteps.

With THE BODYGUARD, the newest international musical to be staged in South Africa, set to make its local premiere in March 2027, fans of both the film and the record-breaking soundtrack have been waiting with bated breath to discover who will play the role of Rachel Marron, the leading lady portrayed in the film by Whitney Houston. Producers Showtime Management are proud to announce the casting of Gqeberha-born Belinda Davids, who has toured all over the world in the highly rated ‘The Greatest Love Of All’. THE BODYGUARD The Musical opens at Artscape in Cape Town on 12 March 2027 before transferring to the Teatro at Montecasino in Johannesburg on 24 April 2027. Tickets are on sale at Ticketmaster, the exclusive ticketing agent.

Davids, whose four-octave vocal range mirrors Houston’s – an extraordinary gift – moves from being a soloist into her first role in musical theatre as superstar singer Rachel Marron, played by Houston in the Hollywood film this show is based on, opposite Kevin Costner as Frank Farmer, the eponymous bodyguard. The story sees fame, danger and desire collide as an unexpected romance unfolds – backed by some of Whitney Houston’s biggest hits, including “I Will Always Love You,” “I Wanna Dance with Somebody,” “Queen of the Night,” “I Have Nothing,” “Run to You” and “So Emotional.”

Belinda Davids is supremely familiar with this music from her successful performance career to date, with no less than Simon Cowell being a huge fan of her talent. In 2020, she reached the finals of Series 14 of Britain’s Got Talent. Before her audition, on hearing that she would be covering Whitney Houston material, Cowell suggested that those would be “tough shoes to fill”. Davids then delivered a powerful rendition of “One Moment in Time”, inspiring a standing ovation from Cowell, who commented: “That was the audition we’d been waiting for all season.” She received similar acclaim in Spain in 2023, receiving a Golden Buzzer on the show Got Talent: All-Stars and advancing to the final in a moment aired on television all over Europe.

As she adds acting and dancing to her repertoire in The Bodyguard, Davids will be supported by an all-South African cast, crew and band – details soon to be announced.

Showtime Management has a record of successfully bringing musicals based on hit Hollywood films to South African stages, recently introducing local audiences to PRETTY WOMAN: THE MUSICAL and mounting a return season of the much-loved MAMMA MIA!, currently entrancing Cape Town audiences until 11 October, followed by an extended season at Montecasino’s Teatro from 16 October.

Hazel Feldman of Showtime Management is thrilled to have Belinda Davids on board as the show’s lead. “This is such a huge, challenging vocal role, and Belinda has built a reputation around the world as one of the best in the business when it comes to giving Whitney Houston’s songs the same incredible power as the originals,” she says. “And the rest of the cast is just as exciting – watch this space!”

Belinda Davids cannot wait to follow, once again, in her heroine’s footsteps. “I have loved Whitney Houston since I was a child, so to have this new opportunity – and fresh, exciting challenges! – is a wonderful blessing. I’m so grateful.”

The Bodyguard became the tenth highest-grossing film in history when it was released in 1992, with its soundtrack, with 45 million copies sold worldwide, becoming the top-selling soundtrack album ever and winning the Grammy Award for Album of the Year. “I Have Nothing” and “Run to You” both nominated for the Academy Award for Best Original Song at the Academy Awards.

The stage musical features chart-topping music, glamorous superstar energy, romance and edge-of-your-seat drama and reviews have also praised its superb sets and spectacular design. Don’t

Miss the Early Bird specials for both seasons: 20% discount for Wednesday 17 March and Thursday 18 March at Artscape, Cape Town and for Wednesday 28 April and Thursday 29 April at the Teatro at Montecasino, Johannesburg. Maximum six tickets per customer. Limited tickets available for Early Bird bookings until 31 October 2026. Only valid tickets purchased through the exclusively appointed Ticketmaster will be honoured.

Note: this production has a PG rating 12+ owing to adult themes, language and content. Parental guidance is advised. Terrific Tuesday discounts available. Ts and Cs apply. A 20% block booking discount is offered on groups of 20+ on selected shows for specific price categories.