Review: BUDDY - THE BUDDY HOLLY STORY, Birmingham Hippodrome - Tour
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story has been delighting audiences around the world since its 1989 premiere in London’s West End, running there for an astonishing 13 years. Billed as one of the earliest jukebox musicals, the show tells the story of Buddy Holly’s meteoric rise from Lubbock, Texas teenager to international rock ‘n’ roll star, before his tragic death in 1959 on “the day the music died.”
But here’s the rub: Buddy isn’t really a musical in the traditional sense. It’s a tribute show. And this is where the challenge in reviewing it lies. As a piece of theatre, the book is paper-thin — the narrative jumps from Buddy’s first recording session, to his marriage, to his final concert in Clear Lake, Iowa. Act One does its best to dramatise Buddy’s career, but Act Two is essentially a live concert. There’s little in the way of character depth or dramatic tension.
That said, if the show were billed purely as a ‘Buddy Holly and Friends’ tribute night, it would be a five-star evening across the board. The music is everything, and the cast’s musicality is mind-blowing. AJ Jenks (Buddy Holly) is magnetic, capturing both the charm and restless drive of the young man with glasses. Miguel Angel smoulders as Ritchie Valens and lights up the stage with ‘La Bamba’, while Joshua Barton nails The Big Bopper’s charisma with ‘Chantilly Lace’. Melker Nilsson, as bassist Joe B. Mauldin, practically turns the double bass into a gymnastics apparatus, climbing it with playful energy. Laura-Dene Perryman gives every ounce of herself on stage, her energy infectious.
Theatre etiquette becomes its own character during the evening. The largely British audience — respectful, reserved, and rooted in their seats — clap politely when many clearly want to stand and dance. The performers’ faces practically plead for it: stand, move, join in! When one man in the audience openly wept at seeing his idol resurrected so vividly, it is clear just how powerful this show can be.
Design-wise, the production is slick and effective. Adrian Rees’ set and costumes effortlessly evoke the late 1950s, while Matt Salisbury’s direction keeps the pacing tight. Chris Weeks leads the band with authenticity — the decision for the cast to play their own instruments gives the whole production an electric immediacy.
One of the most striking aspects of the show is its reminder of the cultural landscape Buddy Holly was part of. He did not invent rock ’n’ roll — that credit belongs to Black artists whose sound defined the genre. But Buddy brought it to white audiences, blurring the line between inspiration, appreciation, and appropriation. A particularly poignant moment comes when Buddy and The Crickets, thrilled to play the Apollo in Harlem, only realise on arrival that the audience will be entirely Black. The initial awkwardness quickly gives way to generosity — the audience applauds them warmly, making them feel welcome despite being outsiders. It’s a funny and telling beat that underlines both the universality and the divisions in mid-century American music.
The truth is, not a lot “happens” in Buddy’s life — he was young, and his career was over almost as quickly as it began. What the show offers, then, is a concert punctuated with significant flashes of biography: his refusal to be forced down a country route, his mother checking in on whether he was eating, his triumphant night at the Apollo, his whirlwind marriage, the suggestion he was about to become a father, the tensions that led to his split from The Crickets, and finally, his tragic death. The audience is given time to absorb the shock of his loss, with the reminder that he and his peers were heartbreakingly young when their lives ended.
As a piece of drama, Buddy is slight. But as a celebration of the man, his music, and his legacy, it’s electric. Whether you call it a musical or a concert, Buddy is an undeniably thrilling night out. Fans of Holly’s music will be in heaven, and newcomers will find themselves swept up in the energy of a golden age of rock ’n’ roll. The show may not tell the whole story, but it makes you feel like you were there, in the room, when rock ’n’ roll was finding its way into the world.
Verdict: As drama, it’s flawed. As a tribute, it’s sensational.
**** Four stars
Reviewed by: Alanna Boden