Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story is a 1980’s British Jukebox musical chronicling the life of infamous rock ‘n’ roll singer Buddy Holly. At a run of over 12 years, Buddy is one of the longest running West End shows and jukebox musicals worldwide; it is also one of the earliest examples of the form. The show boasted a back catalogue by Holly, with the songs woven into a book created by Alan Janes. 

The story follows Buddy through his career, from a young band member to a solo musical star. It charters his ride to fame, marriage and eventual sudden and tragic death in a plane crash. The inspiration for the musical came after Janes had a conversation with theatrical agent Laurie Mansfield and film producer Greg Smith who were all fans of the musician. Janes spent the next year working on the show, having licensed the song rights from Paul McCartney who owned Holly’s copyright. They planned an out-of-town try-out before its transfer to the West End. 

The production was directed by Rob Bettison, with music direction by Paul Jury who was in charge of the 26 actor-musicians who made up the show. Paul Hipp starred as Buddy Holly, Gareth Marks as The Big Bopper, Enzo Squillino Jnr as Ritchie Valens and Laurence Bouvard as Maria Elena Santiago. Although there were some technical issues, the opening night was a success resulting in encore after encore. The try-out took place at the Theatre Royal Plymouth in August 1989. The production transferred to London’s West End and opened at The Victoria Palace Theatre in October 1989 where it proved to be a roaring success. At one point, the structural integrity of the dress circle had to be checked by engineers due to the regular stress applied to it by audience members getting up on their feet and dancing. Part way through its run, the show transferred to The Strand Theatre (now Novello) where it finished out its twelve-and-a-half-year run. Janes took over production of the show in 2004 and in 2007, he revived it at The Duchess Theatre with a special gala performance to celebrate the 50th anniversary of Holly’s death. The production has toured the UK extensively since.

A Broadway production, again starring Hipp as Holly, tried out in Toronto before transferring to Broadway’s Shubert Theatre, opening on 4 November 1990. The show also starred David Mucci as The Big Bopper, Phillip Anthony as Ritchie Valens and Jill Hennessey as Maria Elena Santiago. The show was less of a success on Broadway, running for only 255 performances, however, its legacy meant that touring productions have been playing all over the US ever since, with the fifth national tour coming to a close in 2016. 

Besties, if you haven’t seen Buddy yet, you need to! It’s a riotous night out with some amazing tunes and a wonderful display of actor-musicianship. Go see it as soon as you can!

Cast recording on available on streaming services. 

FACTS:

Music: Buddy Holly and Various Artists
Lyrics: Buddy Holly and Various Artists
Book:  Alan Janes 

Theatre: The Victoria Palace and the Novello Theatre (Then Strand)
Run: October 1989 – March 2002 (5,140 performances)

OLIVIERS:

(NOMINATED) Musical of the Year, Outstanding Performance of the Year by an Actor in a Musical - Paul Hipp