THEY bopped in their seats before taking to the aisles as Buddy Holly came to town, proving rock ’n’ roll is far from dead.

We all know the tragic story: February 3, 1959, the man who changed the face of popular music died in a plane crash in Iowa, aged 22.

The Buddy Holly Story tells the tale of how the youngster rose to fame from a little town in Texas, all the way to New York. The story spans three years, using over 20 hits to showcase Buddy’s talent, starting out with band The Crickets before going solo.

It was hard to tell whether we were at a musical or had been transported to Buddy’s last- ever gig in the Surf Ballroom, Iowa.

Star of the show, Oliver Seymour Marsh, played Buddy and belted out songs such as Peggy Sue, That’ll Be The Day and Raining In My Heart to rapturous applause, proving he may just have a career in the music industry himself.

With special appearances from the Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens, played by Colin McGregor and Pedro Reichert, it was a musical feast and the crowd could not get enough.

The hit of the night came as the cast pulled out all the stops with Johnny B Goode, and members of the audience jumped to their feet as Buddy bowed out in style.

At times touching and tearful, the musical, now in its 20th year, refrained from morbidity. It was a toe-tapping, skirt-swinging spectacle of a show, ensuring the legend that is Buddy Holly lives on.

Jenny Minard l Until Saturday, January 31 l Tickets, priced £16 to £27, can be obtained from 0870 7875780