From Tuesday (April 12), The Bodyguard begins its much anticipated two-week stay in the new city.
It takes a big voice to step into the character of Rachel Marron, a role made famous in the film version of The Bodyguard by the late Whitney Houston, writes Sammy Jones.
But it's been cast perfectly – with X-Factor winner Alexandra Burke tackling the role.
Alexandra signed on for a year, but has extended her run.
“Whitney Houston is a massive idol. Listening to Whitney, studying her and then going on The X Factor and winning was a massive deal for me.
“But this is as big, because it's such an iconic role. It just felt right to take this as a first challenge.
“It is such a privilege to be able to sing her songs, day in, day out."
By the time she bids Rachel goodbye, she'll have spent 18 months playing the superstar who falls in love with her Secret Service Agent turned bodyguard, Frank Farmer – hired to protect her character from an unknown stalker. But you know the film, so you know that much already.
When the part was first offered, Alexandra turned it down.
“I got offered the role when it first came to London and said no because I just didn't have the confidence,” she reveals.
“I didn't think that I could execute such a role and back then I don't think I could have.
“Now, having a couple of years experience under my belt with live work, when they offered me it in 2014, I couldn't say no.
“It is such a privilege and these opportunities do not come around every day...”
Make no bones about it, though, this is hard work, right?
“Exactly, and I didn't know that, I'll be honest with you. I didn't make time to go to theatre shows before I was on The Bodyguard.
"I went to a couple but didn't really understand what work goes into it.
“It's harder than being an artist, that's for sure. It is so much stricter, and at the current time I am not my own boss, I am working for a company.
“They expect me to be great every single night and that in itself is a lot of pressure.
“You can't get complacent. The moment you get complacent, it shows. You've got to understand that people have paid a lot of money to come and see the show.
“People have worked hard, saved and bought these tickets a year in advance.
“You can't let these people down. I get really upset if I have to take a sick day,” she says, telling me that a year into the role, she has lost just three days to sickness.
Don't take a matinee ticket expecting Alexandra's voice to greet you though. She only stage steps for the evening performances.
“My voice doesn't really wake up until about 6pm if I'm honest with you. I want to protect my voice, and what I have. We are singing Whitney Houston songs here, you know what I mean...they are very, very hard.”
And how does one best look after the voice?
“It's a matter of not having any dairy, steaming, minimal talking, drinking a lot of hot drinks.
“I've already downed two litres of water. You've got to down that amount at least four to six hours before you sing to make sure you are hydrated.
“Then I down at least a litre during the show!”
And it's not just the voice that needs to be honed and cared for – you need to be physically and mentally able too.
Award-winning choreographer Karen Bruce, who has worked on Strictly Come Dancing and stage-shows including The Last Tango and Dance Til Dawn, put Alexandra to work.
“I couldn't have picked someone better to work with. She is the one that told me to start running and singing on the treadmill before I started the tour, because she was about to put my body in complete shock when we got to rehearsals.
“She has completely changed the way I perform. She is a genius, and has pushed me to the point I didn't think I would be able to execute what she had given me.
“I remember she said 'I'm going to give you absolutely everything, and we'll take away what you can't handle,' and there's nothing she's taken away, so I am really proud and pleased.”
Alexandra's introduction to music came from her mother Melissa Bell, who served as lead singer with R&B aces Soul II Soul.
“My Mum is my biggest inspiration. Whenever I am away I speak to her five time a day and always ask her advice.
“Her voice is insane and she is the reason I am where I am today, because her influence completely made my mind up for me.
“What's lovely about my mum is that she never forced me, she just encouraged me to do whatever I wanted to do that made me happy, and singing has always made me happy. I've never looked back.”
But that's not to say Alexandra has had it easy. Her climb to the top has taken years of hard work and dedication.
And she's had to pick herself up and dust herself down after knock-backs.
Lesser determined people would have succumbed to the negativity and called time on their dreams.
That was never going to happen for this songstress.
“I really believe that people have second chances, third, fourth, whatever it is. If one door doesn't open, another will,” she tells me.
“I never believe in giving up. I've always had this attitude from the age of nine.
“Whenever something didn't go my way, I might sulk for a couple of hours but I'd get over it very quickly and be like 'Ok, I know I can do it.'”
And she tries to pass that belief on to others.
“I try to encourage young people to never give up on their dreams. People say to me 'How do you stay so positive? Why are you always smiling? It's got to be fake,' but actually I choose to be happy. It is my calling.
“If I choose to have happiness around me and surround myself with positive people, why can't I be positive?
“I've read a book called The Secret and one called The Four Agreements, and I literally live by these rules - that positivity breeds positivity, and if you stick with that it follows you. I am a firm believer,” she says, resolutely.
Consequently, you'll never see Miss Burke looking glum in the wings or skulking around pre-show.
It's just not going to happen.
“I always make sure I come into work positive and raring to go, and that feeds onto those I'm working with. They'll never see me come into work feeling down, ever.
“As a leading lady I always want to make sure I give off the right positive energy to make them feel good too.”
But come on, everyone has bad days. How do you paint the positive?
“Yesterday I was extremely tired, but what gets me through it is knowing that I am going to be on stage – it is like a drug for me,” she says.
“Singing, performing, dancing is my drug, so the rewards I get taking a bow after the show, money couldn't buy that feeling and I look forward to that feeling that I get.
“I'm in my own world when I'm on stage...”
Three days after shaking off the character of Rachel and Alexandra will take on a new habit, quite literally – starring in Sister Act, which is being directed by Craig Revel Horwood.
She is super excited about the new challenge, but it means that fans waiting patiently for the release of Alexandra's third album will have to sit tight a little while longer.
“I want to release my third album as soon as I can, but because I wanted one more acting credit under my belt, I chose to put it on hold again and really concentrate on my acting...
“I have got great people advising me, a great management team and a great agent who look after me very well. They understand my music will always be my priority, but I do want to take different paths in life.
"If you can try and be good at something else, always try, always give it a go.”
And that's exactly what she's done – took the X-Factor title, engaged in a super successful career as a singer, and now transferred her talents to a slightly different stage, as you'll see in The Bodyguard from Tuesday.
“What we want to do is have people walking out after the show feeling great, having had a great night.
"We just want people to go through an emotional rollercoaster and hopefully walk out going 'Wow! We want to see that again...”
To book tickets call 0844 871 7652 or visit www.atgtickets.com/miltonkeynes
