Birmingham Hippodrome – until 30th August 2025
Reviewed by Emma Millward
5*****
Rock & Roll roared back into Birmingham this week as Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story took over the Hippodrome, bringing 1950s nostalgia, sharp suits, and toe-tapping tunes. The show has been entertaining audiences around the world since making its premiere at the Theatre Royal, Plymouth in August 1989. Written and executive produced by Alan Janes, the show tells the story of Buddy Holly and the stratospheric success he achieved during his short life.
From the beginning, it is clear this is not your average ‘Jukebox Musical’. It is essentially a live gig with a very touching plot telling the fast-paced story of Buddy Holly’s meteoric rise to fame and his tragically short life. The ensemble cast all play their own instruments live, adding an extra exciting depth to their performances. I enjoy productions where you see the band onstage, The show boasts an outstandingly talented group of musicians. The set design by Adrian Rees and lighting by Jamie King-Cox is cleverly used to transport us from Buddy’s hometown of Lubbock, Texas, to the recording studios of Nashville, the Apollo Theatre, Harlem and finally The Surf Ballroom, Ohio.
The small but perfectly formed ensemble of performers offer a masterclass in multitasking. As well as performing the music, they also take on dual roles within the show. Our leading man, AJ Jenks as Buddy Holly dons the famous glasses and perfectly captures just the right level of geeky-cool energy. Jenks nails the charmingly awkward but confident vibe that made Holly such a pioneer. Alongside him as The Crickets, Niki (Joe Sterling), Jerry (Stephen Alexander-Kerr) and Joe (Melker Nilsson) are absolute dynamos. You would be forgiven for thinking the real band had come back just for the evening. The show charts Buddy’s rise to fame in Lubbock, Texas to becoming a chart-topping star, Along the way Buddy meet Maria Elena (Marta Miranda) and he proposes to her within a few hours of meeting, before the show concludes at the fateful winter concert in Clear Lake. Even with the inevitable tragic ending looming, the production keeps spirits high.
The show is filled to the brim with live musical performances, and both acts conclude with a live ‘concert’ performance. The first act recreates the band’s performance at The Apollo Theatre, Harlem, where they became the first white rock act to play the venue. We were treated to amazing performances of ‘Reet Petite’ and ‘Shout’ by Tyrone Jones (Miguel Angel) and Marlena Madison (Laura-Dene Perryman). This is when the audience realised that a little bit of audience participation was allowed in this show and actively encouraged. The Birmingham crowd were only too happy to oblige! The second act follows the backstage antics of the performers of the ill-fated winter concert in Clear Lake, before large portions of that concert are recreated with Thomas Fabian Parrish getting the crowd ready for the show as the cheeky Clear Lake MC. During this section we meet Richie Valens (Miguel Angel) and The Big Bopper (Joshua Barton), the musicians who died alongside Buddy Holly that fateful night in 1958. Both are absolute balls of energy who had the audience desperate to get up and dance.
The last twenty minutes of the show is basically a rock concert. With a range of songs masterfully recreated by the cast, including a beautiful a Capella version of ‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love’ by Jack Daw (Ewan Ling) and his Snowbirds (Andrew Farrell, Marta Miranda, Laura-Dene Perryman and Joe Sterling) and riotous renditions of ‘That’ll Be The Day’, ‘Chantilly Lace’ and ‘La Bamba’ and more. While the show inevitably ends with a sombre moment that we all know is coming. The production handles it beautifully, with a simple but heartfelt nod to the young lives lost “the day the music died”, followed by one last raucous celebration of the musical legacy they left behind.
As our leading man declared at the curtain call of the show “Tell your friends to come on down, ‘cus Buddy Holly’s back in town! Buddy at the Hippodrome isn’t just for the die-hard fans, it is for anybody who appreciates great music, good times and lots of twanging guitars!