Smash-hit musical on Buddy Holly set to come to Basildon's Towngate Theatre
A smash-hit show hailed as "the world's most successful rock and roll musical's" is coming to Basildon.
Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story will be at the Towngate Theatre from Tuesday, September 2 to Saturday, September 6, 2025.
The rock and roll musical, which tells the story of Buddy Holly's rise to fame, will form a part of the 2025/26 UK tour.
The production has enjoyed success since it first arrived in the UK, playing a record-breaking 4,900 performances over 614 weeks on tour in the UK and Ireland, and a further 5,822 performances over 728 weeks in London's West End.
Writer and executive producer Alan Janes said: "It really is incredible, over 35 years since we first opened, the show is back still spreading joy to every corner of the country.
"This is testament to a wonderful, extremely talented cast and some of the finest Rock & Roll tunes ever written by the one and only Buddy Holly."
The musical features two hours of music and more than 20 of Buddy Holly's greatest hits, including "That'll Be The Day", "Peggy Sue", "Oh Boy", "Everyday" and "Rave On".
To book tickets for Buddy - The Buddy Holly Story, visit the Towngate Theatre website or call the Box Office on 01268 205 300.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Forbes
19 hours ago
- Forbes
Why Pixar's Elio Deserves More Than Its Box Office Debut
SAO PAULO, BRAZIL - NOVEMBER 08: Jonas Rivera, Pixar producer, speaks onstage during Day 1 of the ... More D23 Brazil: A Disney Experience at Transamerica Expo Center on November 08, 2024 in Sao Paulo, Brazil. (Photo byfor Disney) After its release on June 20, 2025, Pixar's latest original film, Elio, opened to a modest amount at the box office. After the news broke, fans and critics alike have raised concerns about what this means for the future of Pixar, whose films have always been regarded as unique in their ability to connect with and tug at the heartstrings of their viewers. While these conversations continue off social media, it's essential to note that judging a film's profitability solely based on its opening weekend box office isn't always the most accurate formula. Scoring 84% at Rotten Tomatoes, and with Pixar being no stranger to its films experiencing a sort of slow burn at the box office, it wouldn't be outlandish to say that Elio could still be on the path to success. Stiff Competition at the Box Office ORLANDO, FLORIDA - MAY 20: (EDITORS NOTE: This image has been retouched.) (L-R) Gerard Butler, Nico ... More Parker and Mason Thames of Universal Pictures' live-action How to Train Your Dragon cast at Universal Epic Universe on May 20, 2025 in Orlando, Florida. (Photo byfor Universal Pictures) Elio, while having the luxury of being a Pixar film in its corner, debuted alongside the long-awaited live-action remake of How to Train Your Dragon and the post-apocalyptic horror film 28 Days Later, which was a sequel to an already successful horror film. Pixar, as a brand, has several franchises under its belt. Still, Elio, being an original concept and not a sequel like Toy Story or The Incredibles franchises, had to compete with two films that already have built-in fan bases. Franchises offer familiarity, as people want to see what happens to the characters and story they're already familiar with, which creates a sense of longing that will otherwise guarantee sales and influence their performance at the box office. How to Train Your Dragon also benefited from concentrated campaigns across multimedia platforms. With the original film debuting nearly 15 years ago, nostalgia played a huge role in its success. On the other hand, Elio, although it had its campaigns, adopted a more subdued approach, with some fans stating that they had never even seen a trailer for it until after it had already been FRANCE - MAY 26: Vincent Lacoste, Adèle Exarchopoulos, Leah Lewis and Mamoudou Athie attend ... More the Disney and Pixar's "Elemental" Photocall during The 76th Annual Cannes Film Festival at Carlton Beach on May 26, 2023 in Cannes, France. (Photo by) Looking back, we can see that the film that previously held Pixar's title for having the lowest opening weekend box office numbers might mean that Elio still has a chance to be a commercial success. Elemental, released in 2023, originally debuted with $29.6 million domestically. Similarly to Elio, people talked about what this meant for the future of Pixar until it went on to earn $496.4 million after it achieved success internationally. Considering that Pixar has been in this exact position before, and the fact that it happened with their last film, it wouldn't be farfetched to say that Elio might achieve the same trajectory, even if it doesn't achieve success at the international level. I don't need to delve into the economy and its impact on the average American citizen; we see, hear about, and experience it in our everyday lives. The truth of the matter is that, since the COVID-19 pandemic, many people, especially families, have opted to wait for films that will inevitably be released on streaming services like Disney+. Pixar films like Soul, Turning Red, and Luca all debuted on Disney+, which showed families that theaters and waiting for films to have physical releases were no longer the only options for watching movies they anticipated. With transportation costs, tickets for parents and children, and added concessions, families realize it's cheaper to stream a film on a service they're already paying for than to plan an entire outing to see a movie that could easily cost $70 or more. Even films like Disney's Encanto found much of it's success after it's virality from hit songs like 'We don't talk about Bruno' and 'Surface Pressure,' with the latter gaining traction because of streaming, proving that impact doesn't just exist in the theater. While I prefer original IPs, the average consumer is meticulous when deciding where to spend their hard-earned money. Today, every dollar needs to be accounted for, and some would choose the familiarity of franchises, something that they know they can trust, over something original that they can't guarantee will need to be prioritized. Still, despite Elio experiencing an underwhelming opening at the box office, we've seen Pixar come out on top time and time again. Expectations for movie theaters have changed over the last five years, and studio executives are aware of this. With a high score from critics for its original story, Elio might be playing the long game for success, but that wouldn't be anything Pixar isn't prepared for if films like Elemental serve as any indication. So often, critics expect films to be successful overnight. Still, in this current market, it might be safer to let films, especially those with original concepts and stories, grow into their success organically. We need to be patient.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
Fast cars vs. killer dolls: ‘F1,' ‘M3GAN 2.0' gear up for box-office showdown
Two major films are revving up for big debuts at the box office for the June 27-29 weekend, with Apple Original Films' ambitious Formula One drama F1: The Movie and Universal's campy horror sequel M3GAN 2.0 each eyeing strong openings. F1 is tracking to debut above $30 million in the U.S., with some forecasts suggesting that the film, starring Brad Pitt as a retired Formula One driver mentoring a rookie (Damson Idris), could start as high as $40 million–$45 million domestically and even race toward $50 million–$60 million if momentum builds. Internationally, where Formula One has a massive fan base, Warner Bros., distributing the film for Apple, is hoping for a $75 million-plus haul across 77 markets. Directed by Joseph Kosinski (Top Gun: Maverick) and carrying a hefty $200 million production budget, global success is key for F1 to justify Apple's gamble on theatrical releases. More from Gold Derby Marge lives! Here are 3 other 'Simpsons' characters that returned from the grave - and 3 who stayed dead 'Squid Game' Season 3: Reviews warn of a divisive WTF sprint to the finish line SEE 'F1: The Movie' reviews: Brad Pitt burns rubber with 'macho panache' in a high-octane thrill ride Meanwhile, M3GAN 2.0 — the sequel to Blumhouse and Universal's viral horror hit — looks poised for a softer but still solid $20 million debut in the crowded summer movie season. The original M3GAN, released in January 2023, shocked industry expectations by opening to $30 million and legging out to $95 million domestically ($180 million worldwide) on a mere $12 million budget, fueled by its viral TikTok dance routines. This time, the PG-13 killer doll movie returns with upgraded thrills and escapist stakes, as the titular AI is rebuilt to stop a humanoid robot aiming for world domination. With a modest $25 million budget, M3GAN 2.0 doesn't need a blockbuster showing to turn a profit. SEE 'M3GAN 2.0' reviews say the sequel is both too much and not enough F1 is expected to dominate the domestic charts, propelled by Pitt's star power, Kosinski's storytelling expertise, and Formula One's global popularity (Lewis Hamilton even serves as a producer). While F1 seems geared to attract older male audiences, M3GAN 2.0 is strongest with younger women and remains a social media sensation. Both films will face heavy competition as Universal's Jurassic World: Rebirth roars into cinemas on July 2, along with holdover hits like Disney/Pixar's Elio and Sony's 28 Years Later. Gold Derby readers predict that F1: The Movie will win the June 27-29 weekend with between $25 million and $50 million domestically. M3GAN 2.0 is the runner-up selection of our oddsmakers. : Director: Joseph KosinskiDistributor: Apple Original Films/Warner Bros.A Formula One driver comes out of retirement to mentor and team up with a younger driver. The action-packed sports drama, starring Brad Pitt, Damson Idris, and Javier Bardem, has a running time of two hours, 35 minutes, and is rated PG-13. F1: The Movie is certified "fresh" with a 84 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "generally favorbale" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 68 percent. Director: Gerard JohnstoneDistributor: Universal PicturesTwo years after M3GAN's rampage, her creator, Gemma, resorts to resurrecting her infamous creation in order to take down Amelia, the military-grade weapon who was built by a defense contractor who stole M3GAN's underlying tech. The horror sci-fi thriller, starring Allison Williams, Amie Donald, and the voice of Jenna Davis, has a running time of two hours, and is rated PG-13. M3GAN 2.0 is certified "rotten" with a 59 percent score per the aggregated critic reviews at Rotten Tomatoes; "mixed" reviews compiled by Metacritic resulted in an overall score of 54 percent. After strong test audience reactions and early previews, F1 is poised to dominate the box office with a projected opening of over $40 million. M3GAN 2.0 is expected to scare up enough fans for a strong second-place debut, bringing in over $20 million. Meanwhile, Universal's How to Train Your Dragon remains steady in its third week, giving the killer doll some competition as it eyes $20 million as well. The live-action remake has already amassed an impressive $200 million domestically and $376 million worldwide. Rounding out the top five, Disney/Pixar's Elio and Sony's 28 Years Later are set to continue their box office battle from last week. Though the horror sequel took the lead in their initial matchup, the animated family movie is projected to have more staying power, edging out 28 Years Later with both films aiming for $13 million this weekend. Here are Gold Derby's predictions box-office rankings for the top five: 1. F1: The Movie2. M3GAN 2.03. How to Train Your Dragon4. Elio5. 28 Years Later Do you agree or disagree with those rankings? Make your predictions right now — it's fun and easy! Join the box-office discussion in our forums. Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article.
Yahoo
a day ago
- Yahoo
‘F1: The Movie' — Instant Oscar predictions
With strong reviews and a massive marketing push from Apple, F1: The Movie seems to be speeding toward the finish line for first place at the weekend box office. But could the summer tentpole make a showing at the end of the year in the Oscar race? The movie's pedigree certainly suggests it could follow the route of another high-velocity hit of recent years. With Joseph Kosinski in the director's chair and Jerry Bruckheimer producing, Top Gun: Maverick is an easy parallel to draw for how the Brad Pitt-led vehicle could make an impact in awards season. More from Gold Derby 'The Bear,' 'My Mom Jayne,' Lorde's 'Virgin,' and the best to stream this weekend: June 27, 2025 Overexposing Pedro Pascal, revisiting that 'Sinners' spit scene, Springsteen 'Tracks II' ranked, and what to read this weekend: June 27, 2025 But in which categories could it be competitive? The lightning in a bottle magic of Maverick seems to be missing from the reactions to F1 thus far, so Screenplay and Picture seem like a stretch at the moment. But with some familiar names below the line, several craft categories could definitely be within reach. A three-time nominee, editor Stephen Mirrione previously won in the category for cutting Steven Soderbergh's multi-thread drug epic, Traffic, back in 2001. Since then, he's been the go-to editor for Alejandro Gonzalez Iñárritu, earning nominations for both Babel and The Revenant — in addition to working on the director's Best Picture-winning Birdman. Top Gun: Maverick's cinematopher, Claudio Miranda, made the leap over to F1 with Kosinksi. Miranda wasn't nominated for the high-flying shots of Tom Cruise and company, but he is a previous winner, for his work on Ang Lee's The Life of Pi. He was also nominated for Best Cinematography with The Curious Case of Benjamin Button. F1's score is by Hans Zimmer. Heard of him? The 12-time nominee and two-time winner is another carry-over from Top Gun: Maverick. He most recently won in 2022, when his now-iconic howls from the Dune: Part 1 soundtrack took home Best Score. His first win came all the way back in 1995 for The Lion King. A previous nominee on behalf of Top Gun: Maverick, production visual effects supervisor Ryan Tudhope is among the VFX team on F1. A nomination in this category will likely come down to competition, as the end of the year will bring near-guaranteed heavy-hitters like Wicked: For Good and Avatar: Fire and Ash. Maverick's one Oscar win from its six nominations came in the Best Sound category. That film's supervising sound editor and sound editor, Al Nelson, is the only member of that team to make the leap to F1. Still, with all of those revving engines, its difficult to imagine a tentpole release with more sound this year. Best of Gold Derby Everything to know about 'The Batman 2': Returning cast, script finalized Tom Cruise movies: 17 greatest films ranked worst to best 'It was wonderful to be on that ride': Christian Slater talks his beloved roles, from cult classics ('Heathers,' 'True Romance') to TV hits ('Mr. Robot,' 'Dexter: Original Sin') Click here to read the full article.
