Buddy Holly

Everybody knows the legend that is Buddy Holly, and if they don’t, then the best way to find out is by experiencing the rock’n’roll musical Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story. Telling the story of the early rock’n’roll pioneer, from his rise to stardom to his tragic death in a plane crash, Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is a musical like no other. I managed to catch it on its 2013 tour of the United Kingdom at The Victoria Theatre, Halifax.

The musical offers an upbeat and honest portrayal of Buddy’s story, with Roger Rowley being the main driving force behind this. His portrayal of the musician offered the audience a journey, from the slightly timid country singer to the uproariously influential rock star he became. His determined and positive exterior helped to convey the themes of courage and identity throughout the performance.

The actual songs were so accurately played, you could genuinely believe that Buddy Holly was there on stage. They seemed to convey the energy and slightly raw nature with which Buddy wrote his songs, along with The Crickets. With hits like ‘That’ll Be the Day’ and ‘Peggy Sue’ it certainly didn’t take long for the whole audience to be up on its feet moving to the music. The audience helped to create the atmosphere for the show, and actually appeared to bring the energy that Buddy wanted to create with his music right to the forefront of the production.

In addition to the excellently executed songs and convincing performances, the set was also interesting. Despite the fact it was simple, with a few brick walls and sliding doors, this helped to focus the audience’s attention on the actual story and the music, bringing their attention to the amount of influence that Buddy had on modern music as we know it. There were a few paintings of various cultural icons and objects on the walls to help represent the time period of the production.

The second act of the production was its crowning glory. An incredible finale was staged in the form of the ‘Winter Party’ of 1959. What followed was an incredible flurry of audience members clapping, dancing and singing along with some more of Buddy’s songs before coming to a close with Buddy’s single guitar on stage in the spotlight, with a voiceover explaining how he died. Whilst this was incredibly sad, it actually celebrated Buddy’s music even more.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is ultimately a celebration of the determination, bravery and music of Buddy Holly, and if you don’t know the story already, or you simply want celebrate his music, then this is your best bet to do both.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story is playing at The Victoria Theatre Halifax until 21  September. For more information and tickets, see the the Buddy Holly Story website.