HIS death at the age of just 29 robbed the world of a precocious talent.

Now the musical 20th Century Boy will give theatre audiences the chance to discover more about Marc Bolan.

For actor George Maguire, who plays the corkscrew-haired singer, the show is an insight into what made Marc Bolan tick.

“It’s just a really interesting story because of his huge success and then the tragic way he was snatched so young,” said George. Bolan died in a car crash in 1977 two weeks before his 30th birthday.

“The show tells the story of his life through his eyes,” said George. “From his early age he was someone that really had that ambition and wanted to succeed. He just wanted to be a star and he achieved it.”

Although songs such as Ride a White Swan and 20th Century Boy feature in the show, George is quick to point out that it’s not a jukebox musical.

“You see Marc writing the songs, performing them with his band and sometime they are used in more of a storytelling convention. But it is faithful to what really happened,” he said.

“The fans will feel we are telling it how it was. Similarly for people who don’t know Marc’s life but may know some of his music, it will be an interesting insight into the man himself.”

20th Century Boy is George’s second major rock musical role. He won a best supporting actor award for playing Dave Davies in the Kinks’ musical Sunny Afternoon.

“I feel really lucky as a musician myself that I’ve been musician’s who have shaped rock and pop music as we know it,” he said.

“I like being transported back into that era and I was always bit gutted I missed it, so it’s really cool to be bring Marc Bolan’s story to life.”

George who has performed with his own band and is currently working on an EP has become a huge Marc Bolan through the role.

“I’m a music fan so I knew of the big songs,” he said, “but then once I started to research him and the rest of his music, I found some amazing songs. But it was just who he was as a person and his pioneering creativity that I found massively inspiring. I’m a huge fan now - I’m a follower.”

Getting the essence of Marc Bolan has proved to be a demanding task with George not wanting his performance to become something of a tribute.

“We are telling a story which has to be believable,” said George. “As an actor, you want to find out what makes him tick, what’s his spirit. Once you’ve got that and tuned into that, it starts to make things easier.

“There is always a certain amount of yourself in any role and I have been in bands since I was a teenager. I’ve been a frontman and enjoy that part of it. With Marc was a question of looking at the distinctive things he had that were unique to him. Then it’s just a question of taking all that and going out and just enjoying the music.

“Plus I’ve got the help of a good wig and a guitar. But just to do an impression would be really shallow.”

20th Century Boy, Blackpool Grand, March 13 to 17, details from 01253 290190; Manchester Opera House from April 17 to 21 and Preston Guild Hall from May 28 to 30