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Published: 11 March 2010
by RICHARD OSLEY

“HELLO, this is Mrs Buddy Holly,” said the voice on the other end of the phone.

And so began the unexpected moment when a Highgate theatre manager got the chance to talk musical history with the woman closest to one of rock ’n’ roll’s true giants.

John Plews, who is staging the first ever fringe production of ­Buddy: The Buddy Holly Story musical, received the call from Maria Elena Santiago as he prepared for the five-week run. She had learned through the internet that it would be staged at the Upstairs At The Gatehouse venue in Highgate village.

“At first I thought it was somebody winding me up,” said Mr Plews. “But we soon realised, this was actually Buddy Holly’s wife. What struck me was how she was still so into the music, so into her husband’s life and legacy. It’s been 51 years since Buddy died but she is still devoted.”

Holly was killed aged just 22 in a plane crash alongside fellow musicians Big Bopper and Ritchie Valens.

Mr Plews said: “Buddy had toured in London and loved it, but he never got the chance to go back with Maria Elena. She talked about his life and wished us well for the show. I asked her how tall she was to make sure our actress playing  her was the right size, and I asked her if she could sing herself. She said she could, which is great because we’ve added a few bits where Maria Elena has a song.”

The musical, which tells the story of Holly’s life and his short but inspirational career, was twice a smash hit in the West End. Only when its most recent run came to an end did fringe theatres – or “Off Broadway” as they are known to Mrs Holly – get the chance to take it up. And Mr Plews was the first to dive in.

“I’ve always been a massive fan of Buddy Holly,” he said. “I’ve still got the fanclub badge and a lot of his old records. 

“What you had with Buddy Holly and The Crickets was one of the first bands who wrote their own songs and made you feel like you could genuinely be like them. With the glasses and a pair of jeans, he wasn’t like Elvis. Elvis was untouchable, nobody could be like him, but somehow you felt you could be like Buddy ­Holly. I think he was so popular because people could relate to him like that and you see so many musicians – The Beatles, for example – citing him as an inspiration.”

The show has been tweaked in places and the cast and set is understandably smaller than a West End version.

But Mr Plews added: “The weekends are selling well and we’ve already had a block booking from the official British fanclub.”

The show, which stars newcomer Roger Rowley as Holly, opens tomorrow night (Friday) and runs until April 18.