The Drifters Girl
The West End smash hits the road
The Drifters Girl
The West End hit takes to the road
The Drifters Girl
The West End smash hits the road
Why see The Drifters Girl?
heading out on tour
The Drifters Girl is bursting out of the West End and shimmies on to a stage near you! This epic musical celebrates the powerhouse that was Faye Treadwell, who as the world's first African American female music manager launched '50s R&B supergroup The Drifters to international acclaim. Featuring some of the globe's most iconic songs, The Drifters Girl is one musical event you won't want to miss.
An inspiring tale of passion and determination The Drifters Girl follows Treadwell from the highs of chart-topping records and sell-out tours to the lows of legal battles and personal tragedy, as she vows to never give up on the band that she loves.
Featuring some of the globe's most iconic songs, "Save The Last Dance For Me", "Stand By Me", "Under The BoardWalk" plus many more.
Who are The Drifters?
Originally formed as the backing group for Clyde McPhatter The Drifters enjoyed great success for over the course of the '50s, '60s, and '70s. With over 38 albums to their name The Drifters first graced the top of the charts with their 1960 hit single "Save The Last Dance For Me". Going onto garner 33 charted singles The Drifters were inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame in 1998.
Did you know?
The Drifters have welcomed over 60 members to their lineup over the last century, and they still perform to this day!
Cast
Felicia Boswell as Faye Treadwell
Toash Wanogho-Maud as Ben E King
Tarinn Callender as Johnny Moor
Adam J Bernard as George Treadwell
Matt Henry as Clyder McPhatter
Creative
Directed by Jonathan Church
Set design by Anthony Ward
Choreography by Karen Bruce
Costume design by Fay Fullerton
Orchestration and musical supervision by Chris Egan
Lighting design by Ben Cracknell
Sound design by Tom Marshall
Video design by Andrzej Goulding
Awards
Olivier Award Nominations 2022
Best New Musical
Best Actress in a Musical - Beverly Knight
Reviews
Customer reviews
18 reviews, average rating: (3.8 Stars)
susanG
Great to find out the story behind the legendary drifters
Enjoyed the 2nd half more as first half is more story telling than singing but overall a great way to spend an afternoon..!! Fantastic singers and backdrops and alot of great hits belted out ... Read more
John Farrell
My thougts
I found the story and the staging fantastic. The music and the male singing with harmonies was finely tuned and really uplifting. However i did find the voice of the lead a bit screechie and shouting particularly on the solos. We were talking with friends after the show and they mentioned exactly what i was thinking ... Read more
Yasmin Al-Sheklly
An entertaining musical that is full of melody and soul
What is the plot of The Drifters Girl?
The Drifters Girl centres around Faye Treadwell who took the band from the bottom and made them into one of the famous bands of that time. Despite being an African American woman working in a male dominating industry yet her commitment and determination rose her to the top.
This musical gives an insight into the highs, lows and everything in between including 60 band members that all came and gone, copyright legal battles and the death of her husband George.
It has a powerful message that you should never stop believing and that your determination will lead to success eventually despite hatred, the fights, racism and more.
What themes were explored in The Drifters Girl?
The themes that were explored in The Drifters Girl was family, music, love, friendship, copyright, racism, sexism, money, betrayal and loss.
Cast
Carly Mercedes Dyer was sensational as Faye Treadwell. She was full of determination, power, bravery and fight. She brilliantly conveyed the barriers that she faced in order to make the Drifters a success such as racism and sexism which were common during that period of time. Her vocals were strong and powerful but yet raw and full of emotion too.
Jaydah Bell-Ricketts was brilliant as Faye’s daughter. She enabled the plot to flow at a steady pace. It also allowed the various eras to blend into one. Her role was complex as she needed to be on stage as she was a pivotal element to the events of the story but was also being invincible to the cast at the same time. This was evidently done in style.
Miles Anthony Daley was excellent as George Treadwell. He had a likeable stage presence. He also switches to other roles with ease and panache. His vocals were a powerhouse with a sick range and an addictive tone.
The chemistry between the two was infectious to watch and they were a strong partnership on stage.
Ashford Campbell was a star as Ben E King and Rudy Lewis that was rich with soul. His performances of “Stand By Me†and “Under The Boardwalk†were energetic and his vocals were a knockout in the park. He gave a unique twist on them with the beautiful arrangement. His scenes as Rudy Lewis particularly towards the end were full of emotion. He has bags of talent.
Tarik Frimpong was amazing as Clyde McPhatter and Lover Paterson. He was charismatic and entertaining in his performance. His dancing was phenomenal especially the jazz splits. His vocals were angelic, soft and powerful at the same time. He moved from one role to the next in effortless fashion.
Dalton Harris was superb as Nat King Cole. His vocals were sensationally smooth. His transitions in his character were done in a fine way from the calm laid back vibe to having bags of energy and his high range vocals. It was sick.
This quartet were remarkable as The Drifters. Their charisma, powerful vocals and synchronised slick choreography. They were a true delight to watch on stage.
Sets
The sets were simple, effective and were magical. This consisted of flats and slats that would seamlessly slide on and off stage. This was done by adding amazing touches that would transport us to different locations from a train station to recording studios, TV studios, theatre backstage, and flats that would change in an instance. In addition, digital images were used as a backdrop to further enhance the locations or the mood that was expressed from the dancing silhouettes to the National flags.
Costumes
The costumes that were worn throughout this production were bright and they had a lively touch of colour. The members of The Drifters wore lovely dapper suits which really matched the era and the events within the plot of this lively musical.
Soundtrack
The Drifters Girl had a lively and energetic soundtrack that was full of soul. It consisted of catchy songs and heartfelt ballads. One of the highlights was Stand By Me which was sung with a great new arrangement which started as a romantic song and then developed as if it was a protest song. It left me with goose bumps as the vocals and emotion was remarkable. Other highlights featured “Saturday Night At The Moviesâ€, “Save The Last Dance For Meâ€, “Hello Happinessâ€, “Under the Boardwalkâ€, and “Come On Over to My Placeâ€.
The songs were intertwined seamlessly at the right places during the plot. In addition the music was brought to life by a great live band with great orchestration.
The finale was a great ending to a show that was powerful and light-hearted too. This was done with a rendition of Come on Over to My Place in which the audience had an opportunity to get up from their seats to dance, sing, and clap. This ensured that you would leave the auditorium with a smile on your face and the Drifters hits are still in your head.
Choreography
The dance routines in this production were clean, slick and glamorous. All members of the Drifters danced with synchronisation particularly in the big numbers. This added energy and vitality to the show.
If you love to find out about the powerful story of a woman behind the success of The Drifters with some moments of humour and some lovely songs then The Drifters Girl is the show for you. Hurry as tickets will sell out fast.
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