Joshua Barton Archives - thespyinthestalls.com

★★★★

“Memorable tunes and a happy vibe make this a highly recommended show”

There’s a place forever in the rock and roll hall of fame for Buddy Holly, the legend that sprang from Lubbock, Texas and bloomed all too briefly before his tragic death in an aeroplane crash at the age of 22.

After just two years of huge success, Holly got fed up of freezing tour buses that were always breaking down and chose to take a four-seater plane from Clear Lake, Iowa to his next big tour date. He perished in a frozen corn field with fellow singers Ricky Valens and J. P. Richardson (‘the Big Bopper’) after an inexperienced and unqualified pilot turned their plane into the ground.

But misery is the last thing you’ll feel at the Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story. This is a toe-tapping, gloriously catchy and splendidly feel-good show that tells the story of how the 20-year old Holly broke out of country and western music to become a chart-topping sensation. It has been rocking audiences worldwide for over 30 years, and now has a five-day residency at the Theatre Royal Windsor. This chilly Monday night, I can report that many in Windsor’s normally somewhat reserved audience were on their feet in delight by the end of this sparkling show.

This justifiably popular ‘juke box’ musical features influential Holly hits like ‘That’ll Be The Day’, ‘Not Fade Away’ and ‘Peggy Sue’ together with unforgettable tunes like ‘Why Do Fools Fall In Love’, ‘La Bamba’ and ‘Raining In My Heart’. A dedicated and mainly British cast led by A J Jenks (or Christopher Weeks) give energetic and committed performances. Choreographer Miguel Angel appears as Tyrone Jones and has a glorious voice that deserves a special mention after over 1,500 performances in the show. Fifties sound design (Pete Cox), a memorable set and lighting (Adrian Rees and Darren Coopland) all create an authentic period feel.

The first half tells the story of Holly and his band the Crickets’ big break, thanks to innovative producer Norman Petty, and leads on to their being the first ever white performers to appear at the famously hard to please Harlem Apollo. The second half is dominated by a 20-minute sequence of massive rock and roll hits that re-create the excitement of a big tour in the winter of 1959.

The 22 million people worldwide who have seen Buddy can’t be wrong. Memorable tunes and a happy vibe make this a highly recommended show.

Reviewed by David Woodward

Photography by Rebecca Need-Menear

Maggie May

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed – 29th March 2019

★★★★

“it was a touch surreal at one point to see a burly bunch of dockworkers with jazz hands”

Not seen in London for over fifty years, Lionel Bart’s “Maggie May” runs the danger of feeling dated or hackneyed. A modern-day audience can be forgiven for reasoning why it hasn’t been staged for so long. Admittedly it is not one of Bart’s finest, and Liverpudlian Alun Owen’s book has lumpish limitations; but Matthew Iliffe’s revival papers over the cracks and compels us to shed our doubts.

Walking into the Finborough is like wandering onto the set of a 1960s Ken Loach film. We are very much taken back in time as Verity Johnson’s suitably monochrome set recreates the gritty realism of a bygone age. You can almost taste the salt air of the Mersey and feel the fabric of the working-class nobility worn bare. Against the backdrop of dockside gantries and Scouse defiance is the tale of the doomed love affair between the eponymous prostitute, Maggie May, and Pat Casey, the son of a union martyr. Yet much of the plot concentrates on Casey’s fight against his corrupt bosses to prevent a shipment of arms to South Africa.

An odd choice for a musical, and indeed often the music is at odds with its subject matter. It boasts ‘one of the most musically diverse scores’; which is true, in a sense, of this motley crew of numbers if you substitute lack of focus for diversity. There are obvious Celtic roots, but we are taken on a whirlwind tour that takes in Mersey Beat, music hall, rock ‘n’ roll, folk, ballads, a bit of blues and even some ‘hot jazz’. I must say it was a touch surreal at one point to see a burly bunch of dockworkers with jazz hands. Sam Spencer-Lane’s choreography is equally eclectic but works impressively well within the confines of the theatre’s space and there are some firecracker routines hemmed in just sizzling to explode onto a larger stage.

The thirteen strong cast almost move as one with a collective personality that braces any weaknesses in the libretto. And despite some patronising patois, the dockers and the whores avoid caricature. Kara Lily Hayworth commands the stage with her presence as the tough, no-nonsense but brittle Maggie May. A popular dockland prostitute, she calls all her clients ‘Casey’ after her childhood sweetheart. Pat Casey returns from a life at sea and their attempts to rebuild their lives together is a rocky road, particularly when Casey gets reluctantly drawn into the dockworkers conflict. James Darch wonderfully exposes the inner conflicts of the man; torn between love and principle, and unable to shake off the shadow of his past. While Lily Hayworth’s strong soprano has the lion’s share of the show’s stirring ballads, Darch contrasts with a memorable rendition of “I’m Me”: one of the musical highlights.

The ensemble numbers tread a more uneven path, veering from the shambolic, tuneless bar-room singalong of “Right of Way” to the richly textured, Kurt Weill inspired “Casey”. Despite Henry Brennan’s dynamic piano accompaniment, I did find myself craving a double base, or a touch of actor-musicianship. But that is just a subjective cavil, and could dilute the acting, which is consistently fine throughout; from Mark Pearce’s self-assured swagger of corrupt union boss, Willie Morgan through to the show-stealing charisma of Michael Nelson’s Judas figure, Judder Johnson.

But like the characters who are shouldering life the best way they can, it sometimes feels like the actors, too, are trying to make the best of what they are given. Yes, there are often reasons why a show isn’t staged for over half a century. However, if this is a charge that can be levelled at “Maggie May”, then this company makes a watertight counterclaim and gives us every reason to catch this revival at the Finborough.

Theatre Royal Windsor

Reviewed – 24th February 2020

★★★★

“Memorable tunes and a happy vibe make this a highly recommended show”

There’s a place forever in the rock and roll hall of fame for Buddy Holly, the legend that sprang from Lubbock, Texas and bloomed all too briefly before his tragic death in an aeroplane crash at the age of 22.

The 22 million people worldwide who have seen Buddy can’t be wrong. Memorable tunes and a happy vibe make this a highly recommended show.

Reviewed by David Woodward

Photography by Rebecca Need-Menear

Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story

Theatre Royal Windsor until 29th February then UK tour continues

Previously reviewed at this venue:

Finborough Theatre

Reviewed – 29th March 2019

★★★★

“it was a touch surreal at one point to see a burly bunch of dockworkers with jazz hands”

Reviewed by Jonathan Evans

Photography by Ali Wright

Maggie May

Finborough Theatre until 20th April

Last ten shows reviewed at this venue: