From dazzling West End audiences in Grease and Saturday Night Fever to creating his own dance productions, Adam Garcia has donned many theatrical hats over three decades-plus. Now, returning to Wales in The Bodyguard, he’s embracing perhaps his most understated role yet – but speaks candidly to Antonia Levay.
As Buzz chats to Adam Garcia on a boiling hot day, he’s on his London balcony checking out his chilli plants, which he sounds incredibly proud of – they’re one of the few things around which he can switch off and be calm. Few theatre performers have enjoyed a career as varied or as enduring as this Australian, and his latest role couldn’t be more different from many of his previous performances.
The latest run of the musical adaption of The Bodyguard sees Garcia as Frank Farmer, the former Secret Service agent made famous by Kevin Costner in the original 1992 film. “He’s incredibly economical,” Garcia explains. “The script is economical, too. So it became about discovering who he is underneath. Why is he quiet? What’s driving him? It’s all subtext.”
The challenge for the actor, then, wasn’t simply playing a man of few words, but translating that quiet authority to the stage.
“I’d never really played such a still character in theatre before,” he says. “I’d done that on film, but theatre is different. How do you remain commanding and authoritative when you don’t have a lot to say? The director really helped me realise that his strength comes from his stillness; while everyone else is full of activity, Frank doesn’t feel he needs to react.
“I think I’m less reactive now anyway, as I’ve got older – but playing Frank has probably reinforced that. He doesn’t react, even when people deliberately provoke him. His job is to neutralise the threat.”
Quite the contrast to Garcia’s last role in a touring musical – the eccentric, energetic Caractacus Potts in Chitty Chitty Bang Bang. “As a performer it’s lovely to try on different skins!”
Garcia’s own journey into performing was anything but planned: everything changed in the early 90s, when legendary tapdancer and choreographer Dein Perry spotted his talent and invited him to join a new tapdance-themed musical, Hot Shoe Shuffle. “I thought I’d take a year out, get it out of my system, then go back to university. I never went back.”
That single decision took him from Australia to London’s West End, where he met choreographer Arlene Phillips before landing the role of Doody in Grease. It also introduced him to producer David Ian, with whom Garcia has now worked eight times, including on The Bodyguard.
Looking back, Garcia describes his career as a series of opportunities created by people who believed in him – “I’ve been incredibly lucky. People gave me opportunities at the right time” – and despite an impressive list of stage and screen credits, Garcia still sees performing as a craft rather than something you’ve ever mastered. “I still enjoy learning. Whether that’s onstage or off, you’re constantly discovering new parts of the job.”
Having spent years leading theatre companies, Garcia has found genuine satisfaction in mentoring younger performers. “I think I’ve become much better at leading companies than I was when I first had to do it in my twenties. I like creating a relaxed environment where everyone’s professional, and hopefully I can help younger performers along the way.”
Discussing the challenges facing today’s generation, Garcia is thoughtful rather than critical. Social media, he believes, offers remarkable opportunities but also demands enormous resilience. “It can be an incredible marketing tool. People who do it well are producers, editors, stylists, copywriters, marketers – they’re doing everything themselves. But it can also consume your life.”
Ultimately, though, he believes every generation faces its own obstacles: “It’s always been a competitive industry. Resilience isn’t something you’re born with; it’s something you build.”
Away from the theatre, Garcia’s latest creative project is Emerald Storm, a show which combines Irish dance with tap and returns to Wales later this year, including performances in Llandudno and Wrexham. The fusion grew from conversations with Irish choreographer Sam Hewer, about whom Garcia says: “We realised our worlds were similar but completely different. Neither of us knew the other’s style, so we started asking what connected them rhythmically. That’s where the show grew from.”
This month, however, The Bodyguard remains firmly centre stage, with Garcia relishing the opportunity to alternate between two completely different productions. “I’m excited to do two very different things back-to-back,” he says. “That’s what keeps it interesting.”
The Bodyguard, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff Bay, Tue 20-Sat 25 July
Tickets: £22-£85. Info: here
words ANTONIA LEVAY
