Who: Jonathan Roxmouth, Harry Sideropoulos, Jaco Muller, Etienne Oosthuysen
Where: Barnyard Theatre, Gateway
When: Until 12 August
Rating:***
The international musical, The Buddy Holly Story, has arrived in Durban, bringing with it a cast of 14 performers ready to sing and dance their way through the short life of this legendary singer.
As with all Barnyard productions, the performance boasted incredible music from highly talented musicians. The show has everything, from guitars to a giant bass to trumpets and trombones, which are combined to bring flamboyant flavour to the '50s rock.
Barnyard's Buddy, Jonathan Roxmouth, did a good job steering the production and gave a youthful appeal to this musical icon. What is even more impressive is that Roxmouth could not play the guitar at all when he auditioned and was given four days to learn it before landing the part. Watching him now, you would never guess that the Fender Stratocaster hadn't been in his hands for years.
Making up a lot of the cast just by himself was Harry Sideropoulos as Big Bopper, Murray Deutsch and Hipockets. While it seemed a little off-side that he was given every role of "the big guy", Sideropoulos had enough charm and stage presence to pull it off.
Particularly memorable were his hip-shaking moves in leopard print as the Big Bopper, which got audience members up on their feet as quickly as Ashley Searle's pelvis-thrusting rendition of Ritchie Valens's La Bamba.
While The Buddy Holly Story is a light and energetic show, the music definitely carried it more than the acting, which didn't quite reach the same standard. While the performers gave it their all, the dialogue felt a little stilted and some of the humour was a bit too clumsy.
Perhaps this added to the feeling that the show was a little too long, but judging by the fans that were dancing up and down the aisles to the encores, it seems not everyone felt the same way.
This show is not the best tribute I have seen to the famous lead Cricket, but fans will still enjoy reliving the magic of some of their favourite songs performed live on stage. That, coupled with the friendly service and relaxed atmosphere of the Barnyard, means that you should still have a good time either way.