Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story
Liverpool Empire
Runs until Saturday 28th February
When Buddy Holly played his music it was as though time stood still.
And for two brief hours, in a dazzling performance of the musical Buddy, time again stands still for an audience that worships at the altar of the High Priest of Rock n' Roll.
Buddy's songs defined a seismic shift in human history as he dared to explore an exciting world of imagination that became indelibly imprinted on the hearts and minds of his fans.
Much has been written about the 50th anniversary of the death of the man, born "Charles Hardin Holley," in a plane crash on 3rd February 1959.
But the true memorial to Buddy Holly's genius is his musical legacy. It remains as fresh and urgent today as it was when it first hit the ears of the newly-invented "teenagers" of the 1950s
He was just 22 when he died and it is quite astonishing that he recorded more than thirty memorable pop songs in his young life - writing many of them himself.
And in "Buddy" we are faithfully taken on a thrilling jukebox journey through his professional career from the time he first found fame to the emotional crescendo of his last performance at The Surf Ballroom in Clear Lake, Iowa.
Oliver Seymour Marsh was brilliant in the title role. But each member of the cast is a talented musician and together they produce bravura performances ranging from foot-tapping classics like Peggy Sue, Oh Boy and Rave On to a haunting acoustic rendition of True Love Ways.
The show captures the heart and soul of Buddy's music while successfully holding our attention on the quirky "back story" of this mother's boy from Lubbock, Texas, whose talent saw him make it big, despite his naiveity and geeky appearance.
Admittedly, most of the audience consisted of the Buddy Holly Generation - certainly more bus passes than student cards - but there were youngsters there too, enjoying music that holds a timeless appeal.
Buddy's narrative inevitably heads towards the sad finality of its hero's untimely death.
But overall the show is a joyful and uplifting celebration of this fine talent and a really enjoyable piece of solid theatrical entertainment.
Rating: 9/10
Click Recommends: The very Best of, Holly Buddy, 2009
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