A perfect blend of music, story, and showmanship, The Drifters Girl: A New Musical is a fitting tribute to a remarkable woman and a remarkable band. It runs at the Churchill Theatre until 27th April, tickets here.
The Drifters, the American vocal ensemble responsible for many feelgood hits such as ‘There Goes My Baby’, ‘Like Sister And Brother’, and ‘There Goes My First Love’, had their heyday in the 1950’s, 1960’s and 1970’s, and worked their way through numerous line ups, spin off’s, and related acts, leaving a golden trail of great music as their legacy. Instrumental in that journey was their female Afro-American (and therefore ahead of her time) Manager, Faye Treadwell. This musical has Faye (played imperiously by Carly Mercedes Dyer) telling The Drifters story to daughter Tina Treadwell (Jaydah Bell-Ricketts). Real-life Tina was consulted in the creation of the show and from this You Tube clip of the Premiere in the US, it is clear that she is immensely proud of the result.
There are stories within stories here, from Faye’s making a bold career and geographical move, to the sacking of the entire Drifters line up, legal difficulties, and exile. The cast depict so many musicians who came, went, and sometimes came again. Most have programme Cast references such as ‘Ben E. King, Rudy Lewis & Others – Ashford Campbell’. There were a lot of ‘& Others’! But, just as Ashford Campbell carried his parts with aplomb, so too did the rest of the cast, Tarik Frimpong, Daniel Haswell, and Miles Anthony Daley (who played Faye’s husband George Treadwell with real feeling). Director Jonathan Church recognised the demands of the roles in the programme, referring to ‘the joy of seeing our performers delivering such a complex and challenging piece of work’, which this was. Everyone had singing duties and brought back to life the great songbook of The Drifters. There were many, many costume changes – beautiful work by Fay Fullerton – and the acting required emotional range and a good deal of comic timing, something at which Carly Mercedes Dyer and Tarik Frimpong excelled. To add yet more complexity, along with the songs there were many synchronised dance moves, and the cast were totally ‘on’ it.
Credit also goes to the orchestra who provided a powerhouse sound to accompany the performances. And to the lighting and use of silhouettes which produced an apparently simple stage, but highly versatile setting on which to unroll decades of musical history.
Finally, in what was overall a superb show, the greatest heights were the re-purposing of a handful of songs, notably ‘Sweets For My Sweet’ and most of all, ‘Stand By Me’, by Ben E. King, which provided moments of real poignancy. There was a real connection for so many of the audience, to many of whom this show provided a soundtrack to a good period of their lives.
The Drifters Girl is here to stay, and is a story well worth hearing, seeing, and sharing.
Darren and Jacqui Weale, 25 April 2024
Bromley Buzz 