Buddy, Manchester Opera House. Runs until January 25 - THE energetic performance of Blackpool born actor Gus MacGregor brought Buddy Holly and rock 'n' roll to life in a breathtaking opening night of this smash hit musical.

As soon as MacGregor donned the black rimmed glasses and sang the first song Rose of Texas we were transported back to 1956 Texas where it all began for Buddy Holly and The Crickets.

The audience was spellbound from start to finish and both young and old were dancing in the aisles by the end of the show.

Buddy tells the story of the Rock 'n' Roll legend, from his struggle to make it in the US music industry as a 19-year-old, right up until the peak of his fame and tragic death in a plane crash in 1959, at the too young age of just 22.

The show is all about his wonderful music, and rightly so, from hits including Peggy Sue through to Heartbeat, which brings the story of Buddy Holly to life for his endless number of fans in the capacity crowd.

There were strong performances from Tony Feeney and James Hadden, who played Joe B Mauldin and Jerry Mauldin -- the Crickets.

And The Big Bopper, played by Jaymz Denning, and Ricky Rojas, who starred as Ritchie Valens, (who also died on that fateful journey) also had the crowd jumping in their seats with their own virtuoso performances.

The show was an emotional journey for the audience, who shared in the joy of Buddy's timeless music. The 1950s costumes and sets were excellent and this show, now in its 13th year, is a must-see.