DEAN Elliott never intended to become Paul Simon, although the performer who played Buddy Holly for two years in London and on tour in Buddy - The Musical did come up with the idea of developing a show about Simon and Garfunkel.

"I was doing Buddy and wanted to do a similar show, the story of someone in the music business. I'm a massive Simon and Garfunkel fan - and have been for years - and we started putting some ideas together, spending about one-and-a-half years in pre-production," says Dean, who will present The Simon And Garfunkel Story at the Grand Opera House, York, on July 9.

Originally, he was not planning on performing in the show himself. "That wasn't part of the deal. I was going to help with the production and that was it, " he says. "The thing is, I've been playing guitar and been influenced by Paul Simon for so long that when we came up with the idea I started playing guitar as we were putting the show together and singing along. I realised I sounded a lot like him."

Physically, Dean is taller than Simon but can get away with that on stage. Finding his matching Art Garfunkel, not least a performer willing to perm his hair, required a national search. "We needed someone who could harmonise, but the main thing is singing Bridge Over Troubled Water. It's a very difficult song to get right and comes right at the end of the show. We really wanted to get someone who could nail it," he says.

"Jonny Smart was the first audition of the day and the director and I said 'we've cast Garfunkel now' as soon as we saw him. We auditioned some people who were very good, but not as good as Jonny, who was studying at Birmingham School of Acting at the time. His voice is just incredible. He didn't know as much as we did about Simon and Garfunkel, but it's testament to the guy that he turned up for the audition knowing all the songs off by heart.

"We also have a wonderful band, hand-picked musicians. A lot of people think of Simon and Garfunkel as two guys with a guitar and it's not at all. The musicians on the records are exceptional."

Researching the show was easier than looking into Buddy Holly's tragically short life for the simple reason that a lot more is known about Simon and Garfunkel because technology has moved forward so much. "We studied a lot of the music and video footage and three biographies, then put it all together," says Dean. "It's an interesting story that's not been told before about two best friends, who grow up around the corner from each other, and started singing together when they were 15. Our show runs alongside the story of the 1960s."

It follows Simon and Garfunkel from their humble beginnings as 1950s' rock'n'roll duo Tom & Jerry, through the songs and stories that shaped them, their dramatic split and solo careers, and ends with a re-creation of their 1981 Central Park reunion concert.

Moving from Buddy Holly to Paul Simon was not as difficult as it might seem, says Dean. "Paul Simon was very influenced by 1950s rock'n'roll. He was a massive fan of Elvis Presley. He always wanted to be a rock'n'roller and couldn't. He was short and didn't have the tall, dark, handsome looks of Elvis.

"But you can really tell when researching that his voice is very similar to 1950s' rock'n'roll. The main difference between Buddy Holly and Paul Simon is geographical; Buddy was from Texas and Paul Simon from New York."

Audiences can expect to hear all the songs they associate with the duo. Not only Bridge Over Troubled Water but also Mrs Robinson, Homeward Bound, Scarborough Fair, The Boxer and The Sound Of Silence.

"We're aware of audience expectations. We spent a lot of time listening to the originals and trying to sound like that. On our Facebook page we've had some lovely comments from hardy fans, so I think we're doing something right," says Dean.

Paul Simon knows about the show; he has to do so as he owns the rights to the songs. Dean is uncertain, however, if Art Garfunkel knows about it. "They're quite busy but we are reminding them we're around and would be happy to talk with them," he says. I'd like to work with them on the future of the show. "

The Simon And Garfunkel Story, 50th Anniversary Celebration, Grand Opera House, York, July 9, 7.30pm. Box office: 0844 871 3024 or atgtickets.com/york