Producers Michael Harrison and David Ian have confirmed their acclaimed new musical The Drifters Girl will play its final performance at the Garrick Theatre on 15 October 2022.
The new musical inspired by the life of the woman behind legendary vocal group The Drifters which received its world premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal in October 2021 before arriving in the West End, will follow its Garrick Theatre run by embarking on a UK tour in the autumn next year.
Announcing the reason for the early end to the show’s successful West End run, Harrison and Ian said: “When Adam (J Bernard), Tarinn (Callender), Matt (Henry) and Tosh (Wanogho-Maud) agreed to be in The Drifters Girl, we were overjoyed because we knew they were special. As are our team of covers, who kept the show going through the immensely difficult periods that the entire theatre industry has faced with Covid. Now we are fortunate to have Felicia (Boswell), who is giving a thrilling performance every night as Faye Treadwell. It is an extraordinary company. Replacing them all was always going to be difficult, so we have made the decision to close the show when everyone’s contracts end on 15 October.
“From its premiere at Newcastle Theatre Royal to when we finish at the Garrick Theatre, The Drifters Girl will have played to over a year of nightly standing ovations. We are all incredibly proud of the show, and look forward to the UK tour opening in Southampton next year, as well as the North American premiere which we will announce soon.”
Developed by producers Harrison and Ian, the musical puts the spotlight on Faye Treadwell, the legendary manager of the group who, alongside her husband George, fought numerous legal battles to protect the integrity of the name The Drifters and protect the group’s musical legacy.
Originally formed as a backing group for singer Clyde McPhatter, the RnB and soul vocal group The Drifters debuted in the early 1950s. Over 60 vocalists have featured in The Drifters’ line-up and the group’s hits include ‘Save the Last Dance For Me’, ‘Under the Boardwalk’, ‘Kissin in the Back Row of the Movies’, ‘Stand By Me’, ‘Come On Over to My Place’ and ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’.
Recording artist turned musical theatre star Beverley Knight originated the role of Faye Treadwell alongside Bernard, Henry, Callender and Wanogho-Maud. Boswell stepped in to take over the title role earlier this year.
Casting for the tour which will open at the Mayflower Theatre in Southampton in September 2023 will be announced at a later date.
Based on an idea by Tina Treadwell and featuring a book by Ed Curtis, The Drifters Girl was co-created by Knight, Bernard, Callender, Henry, and Wanogho-Maud. The show is directed by Jonathan Church, with set design by Anthony Ward, choreography by Karen Bruce, costume design by Fay Fullerton, orchestrations and music supervision by Chris Egan, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall and video design by Andrzej Goulding. The associate director is Tyrone Huntley and associate choreographer is Myles Brown with casting by Stuart Burt and children’s casting by Jo Hawes.
Angela Thomas
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