The London production of The Drifters Girl musical, which previously welcomed Felicia Boswell (Broadway's Motown the Musical, Memphis, Shuffle Along…) to the role of Faye Treadwell, plays its final performance at London's Garrick Theatre October 15.
A U.K. tour will launch in September 2023 at the Mayflower Theatre, Southhampton.
The production officially opened November 25, 2021, following previews that began November 4 with Olivier nominee Beverley Knight, who will star in the new musical Sylvia, as Faye.
The cast also features Olivier winner Adam J. Bernard (Dreamgirls), Tarinn Callender (Hamilton), Olivier winner Matt Henry (Kinky Boots), and Tosh Wanogho-Maud (The Book of Mormon), who play The Drifters.
Producers Michael Harrison and David Ian said in an earlier joint statement, “When Adam, Tarinn, Matt, and Tosh 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, 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."
The company also includes Marcus Ayton, Ashford Campbell, Ethan Davis, Vanessa Ela Young, Michael James Stewart, Alanna Leslie, and Curtis Scott with young actors Aurora Baptiste, Amari Brown, Savanna Musoni, Savannah Skinner-Henry, and Shanyia Tsoto.
Jonathan Church (Singin’ in the Rain) directs the musical, which charts the story of the famed vocal group and the woman who made them. Treadwell, alongside her husband, fought for three decades to turn Atlantic Records' vocal group into a global phenomenon.
Based on an idea by Tina Treadwell, The Drifters Girl was co-created by original co-stars Knight, Bernard, Callender, Henry, and Wanogho-Maud and features a book by Ed Curtis.
The production also has set design by Anthony Ward, choreography by Karen Bruce, costume design by Fay Fullerton, orchestrations and musical supervision by Chris Egan, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, sound design by Tom Marshall, video design by Andrzej Goulding, associate direction by Tyrone Huntley, associate choreography by Myles Brown, and casting by Stuart Burt and Jo Hawes.
The production features such classics as “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.”
The Drifters Girl is produced by Harrison and Ian.
