THE SOUND of Silence has punctuated the peaks and pits in the lives of millions across the world, including that of West End performer Dean Elliott.

And yet like most in Simon and Garfunkel’s legions of fans, his knowledge of the men behind one of the most recognised and beloved melodies in history was middling to poor.

That is until the actor and musician decided to explore their incredible creative partnership and chart their journey from Queens boys to world’s most successful music duo of all time in a musical, simply titled the Simon and Garfunkel Story.

“I’m a huge fan of Simon and Garfunkel and have been for years and I really wanted to do something of my own about people I loved and admired,” explained Dean, who was nominated for an Olivier award for his critically-acclaimed portrayal of the title character in Buddy – The Buddy Holly Story.

“A lot of people have this relationship with Simon and Garfunkel. Their music is so engraved in the public conscience. But they don’t know what they did, their story. Are they friends? Did they fall out? I thought it would be an interesting angle.

“I knew bits of their story but I read a lot of biographies and saw a lot of footage. There is no massive tragedy in their lives but their time together was very short – only ten years- they broke up at the height of their success in 1970.”

Simon and Garfunkel’s partnership spanned the 1960s, the tumultuous decade of the civil rights movement and a time of unprecedented change – much of which influenced their music.

As such, Dean chose to anchor the story in its historical and social context by projecting video footage in the background.

“The 1960s was a very important decade of social and political change. As well as telling the story of two best friends growing up together, I thought I would tell the backdrop of their story. They very much wrote songs that were reflecting their time and that place. They are people of their time.”

Despite or perhaps because of his intimacy with the character and familiarity with Simon’s songs, Dean had planned to cast another actor in the role and distance himself from the show in that respect.

He was soon coaxed into taking on the part – it just made sense.

“I was not going to be in it at all,” he added. “When I started putting it together, I thought ‘I’ve really got to understand how Paul Simon plays the guitar, how it moved, the cords. I learned all the Paul Simon parts. When we were deciding who would play Paul Simon, the director said ‘You would be great for it’. I had never really thought about it.”

The show, which stars Jonny Smart as Art Garfunkel, has taken a life and status of its own, far beyond Dean’s wildest expectations when he first set pen to paper in March 2013.

“It’s far surpassed what I thought it would be when it opened a year ago.

“It’s nice to know that something I’ve created and put a lot of love and work into is working so well. We’ve never not had a standing ovation.”

The Simon and Garfunkel Story will open at the Wyvern Theatre for one night only on Thursday, January 29 at 7.30pm.

Tickets cost £19 and £17.50 for concessions.

To book call 01793 52448 or go to swindontheatres.co.uk.