REVIEW: BUDDY – THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY

BOURNEMOUTH PAVILION THEATRE

Go into any pub or social club in Britain and you’ll hear the band performing Buddy Holly songs – Raining In My Heart, It’s So Easy, That’ll Be The Day, Heartbeat, and dozens more.

The catchy numbers are enjoyed both by the audience and by the musicians. The material is simple – mostly just three or four chords – but so hooky, memorable and fun.

This pacy show brilliantly documents Holly’s brief yet meteoric career, from disillusioned country singer to a rock ’n’ roll phenomenon with dozens of hits in just a couple of years, demonstrating both his creative raw talent and his prodigious determination to succeed.

Written and produced by Alan Janes in 1989, Buddy now has more than 20million fans worldwide.

Featuring authentic American accents and attitudes, costumes, sets and instruments, the sound is basic yet imaginative – atmospherically perfect for the period.

The large cast is multi-talented, with energy to burn as they act, dance, sing and play instruments with flair and panache.

Particularly poignant is Holly’s solo acoustic version of True Love Ways, sung to his pregnant wife who is having nightmarish premonitions about the fatal snowy plane flight which would take his life at the age of just 22.

Guess It Doesn’t Matter Anymore and Rave On brought a standing ovation from the ecstatic Pavilion audience. Runs until Saturday.

This hugely enjoyable show visits Southampton’s Mayflower Theatre January 11-14 2017.

It’s Buddy brilliant!

Brendan McCusker