The new musical The Drifters Girl, starring Olivier nominee Beverley Knight, officially opens at London’s Garrick Theatre November 25 following previews that began November 4. The production arrives following a previous engagement at the Newcastle Theatre Royal in October.
Joining Knight are Olivier winner Adam J. Bernard (Dreamgirls), Tarinn Callender (Hamilton), Olivier winner Matt Henry (Kinky Boots), and Tosh Wanogho-Maud (The Book of Mormon) as The Drifters.
Jonathan Church (Singin’ in the Rain) directs the musical, which charts the story of the famed vocal group and the woman who made them. Knight plays manager Faye Treadwell, who, 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 its five stars 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.”
Recording star Knight made her London stage debut in 2013 in the role of Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard. In 2014, she received an Olivier nomination for Memphis, and in 2015 she played Grizabella in Cats at the London Palladium.
Performances are currently scheduled through March 26, 2022.
The Drifters Girl is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.
(Updated November 25, 2021)
