UK Theatre Network

Looking For Buddy

Live Theatre, Newcastle upon Tyne

(until Saturday 13^th June 2009)

Geordie actor Tim Healy makes a welcome return to Live Theatre, the company that he and a handful of aspiring local actors set up 26 years ago, to take the lead role in ‘Looking For Buddy.’

He plays Phil, a down-at-heel architect, in this witty jazz musical which has been written by one of the country’s most entertaining playwrights, Jarrow born Alan Plater.

When a beautiful ‘bottle-blonde’ named Ella (Jayne MacKenzie) flounces into his Newcastle office, mistakenly thinking he is the private detective from the office below, Phil is drawn into an intriguing and potentially dangerous search for the missing recordings of jazz maestro Buddy Bolden.

Along the way he encounters an array of colourful characters and discovers that The Good Earth Corporation has plans to transform much of Tyneside – and not for the better, either.

With the help of his Marxist sister, Bella (Jane Holman), Frank the Fitter, a former shipyard worker (Phil Corbitt), and Fat Jack, the owner of The Blue Note Jazz Club (Nicholas Lumley), Phil takes on the smart, international corporation and clashes with the icy-cool, sinister Zelda (Jacqueline Boatswain) in an attempt to find out the hidden truth that lies behind the superficial regeneration plans.

Although some of the issues are a little dated – for instance, didn’t the ‘yuppification’ of Tyneside take place in the late 80s and early 90s? – the plot is entertaining and the performances are polished. In addition to the many surprises in the storyline, there comes an even bigger one when Tim Healy reveals that he has a pretty fine singing voice.

The musical score is provided by acclaimed multi-instrumentalist Alan Barnes and delivered by a band that remains on stage throughout the performance, but never detracts from the action. The songs are all written especially for the play and are integrated well.

If you’re looking for an evening filled with laughter, song, comedy and drama, then ‘Looking For Buddy’ is the perfect solution.

Steve Burbridge.