I love the music of rock ‘n’ roll legend Buddy Holly but, as for the musical named after the 50’s icon (last night was my hattrick viewing of said show over the last nine years), I have become increasingly disenchanted with Alan James’ libretto.

I first saw Buddy The Buddy Holly Story in 2017 when I enthused about the production and leading man, Alex Fobbester but, with the advent of more and more biographical musicals – Tina Turner, Simon & Garfunkel, Bob Marley to name just a few – the bar is now so much higher and Buddy, I’m sad to say, is not holding up well.

It is simply no longer acceptable to put the word ‘story’ in the title and hope to get away with a limited script, diluted narrative and a lack lustre act II opened by a solo ‘compere’, who stays on stage too long bluffing and blustering to the point of embarrassment, before running the show to its end with little more than an on-stage band and a string of hits.

That’s not a ‘musical’, it’s a concert!

It was a pale copy of The Jersey Boys or Beautiful The Carole King Musical: both technically jukebox musicals but each with a strong, well executed storyline.

Yes, Buddy tragically died at the age of 22 and his rise to fame from being an unknown Texas boy from Lubbock, to international star, took little short of two years.

However, whilst you might argue that there is not much of a story to tell, take a look at the recent musical, Dear England, in which the National Theatre turned a Gareth Southgate missed penalty into a stunning, two-hour tour de force. The direction, by comparison, was gobsmacking.

There are some incredible directors in the world but, sadly, Matt Salisbury’s take on Buddy cuts the mustard less and less: is that because he has limited ideas or, more likely, he is constrained by his paymasters? Most probably the latter.

Nevertheless, there were some great performances. There has always got to be a strong anchorman and AJ Jenks gave his all as Buddy Holly although I could only see Keir Starmer on stage with a quiff and overly light horn-rimmed glasses, rather than the 50’s pop icon!

Joshua Barton as The Big Bopper

Miguel Angel as Ritchie Valens

The hip gyrating Miguel Angel was back as Ritchie Valens and there were some great cameo performances.

But, overall, I feel as if Buddy The Buddy Holly Story is ready for a full overhaul if it is to keep running year after year, because once fans of the 50’s era, who lap up Rave On, Oh Boy and That’ll Be The Day, have disappeared, so will the audience that feeds this Buddy musical.

Stephen Fry refreshed the libretto for Noel Gay’s 1937 musical, Me and My Girl, in 1984, and there were tweaks to Lionel Bart’s Oliver! when Neil Morrissey took the role of Fagin, as well as many others.

Marta Miranda as Vi Petty

However, Buddy is stuck in a rut and, unless there’s a concerted effort to give this musical a new lease of life, I fear it will diminish year on year as people say: “It’s good, but……not again!”.

Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story
Alhambra, Bradford
Until Saturday