Upstairs at the Gatehouse Highgate

*****
THE show began with Buddy
and his Crickets interrupting a folk
group rendition of Rose of Texas
with an ear-wrenching rock 'n' roll
number frightening those on-stage
Texans almost as much as it did me.

Rock 'n' roll music is not my choice
of easy listening and that first crashing
sound made me wish I hadn't come.
But the sheer enjoyment and energy
of these young performers completely
won me over and, at the end, I was
joining in the standing ovation,
applauding and cheering with the rest of them.

The Texans fired him, of course, but his manager, High Pockets, tries to smooth it over: "He said you were original." "Is that a

compliment?" The Texans fired him, of course, but his manager, High Pockets, tries to smoothit over: "He said you were original".Is that acompliment? "Not the way he said it."

Buddy became enormously successful during his sadly short life and the show finishes with his final appearance at Clear Lake in the middle of a bleak winter. Here Ritchie Vallens, The Big Bopper and Buddy were all killed when their plane crashed. As Don Maclean said, it was "The day the music died". This show proves it didn't.

It was written by English writers Alan Jones and Rob Bettinson with
the co-operation of Buddy's wife Maria Elena, so the actual story must be taken with a pinch of salt. There may be a stronger story if told from another point of view. But who cares, it's the music that counts and the music appears to be loved by all.

This is the freshest team of actor/musicians ever and every one of them is a joy. They are led by the amazing young Buddy addict Roger Rowley. Sean Green is dynamic and effective as Sam the Man and a mean, piano player to boot. Andrew Ashford as Highpockets and Jason Blackwater as The Big Bopper are equally memorable.

But none of this could have happened had it not been for the fanatical devotion and brilliant casting of director John Plews and Racky Plews. who staged the musical numbers

This is a show to be proud of and deserves every success.

ALINE WAITES