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Press tickets for review

“The Drifter’s Girl” is a theatre show I truly wanted to adore and love, I had high expectations with massive compliments from its West End stint. It was one I’d gone in expecting to be as obsessed with as Jersey Boys. This jukebox musical certainly delivers on some fronts but unfortunately falls short for me in others.

First things first though, the vocal performances in this show are exceptional. The cast’s singing abilities are nothing short of spectacular, with strong, soulful voices that do justice to the legendary songs of The Drifters. If you’re a fan of the music, you won’t be disappointed. The renditions of ‘Stand by Me’, ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’, ‘Save the Last Dance for Me’, ‘There Goes My First Love’, and ‘This Magic Moment’ are personal favourites of mine anyway and they really were brought to life with exceptional talent.

The renditions of their classic tunes are a definite highlight.

Loren Anderson took on the role of the strong role of Faye Treadwell and her journey into not being a secretary and how she became the sole manager following her husbands passing. She portrayed this determined and powerful role superbly. I found Ashford Campbell, Miles Anthony Daley, Ethan Davis, and Tarik Frimpong brilliant, not only in their vocal performances, but the way they transitioned and transformed between various characters, roles and personas.

However, when we venture into the storyline, it falls a little flat for me.. It’s a whirlwind of events and information, and it moves so quickly if you’re not already well-versed in the history of The Drifters, it can feel overwhelming. I feel this made it difficult to connect and build emotional depth to the characters and the rapid pace yet slow moving storyline make it difficult to form a strong connection to the story or its people – often with names thrown around quickly – which reflected the storyline but also was hard to keep up with!

That said, there’s the remarkable tale buried within “The Drifter’s Girl.” Faye Treadwell’s journey as the first African American female music manager in history, navigating the treacherous waters of misogyny and racism, is a story that deserves its spotlight. The show only scratches the surface of her experiences, leaving much unexplored – especially around the exec meetings, often taking on a comical role as to her not being taken seriously and the racism on the road.

The soundtrack is undeniably a crowd-pleaser. The abundance of Drifters’ hits ensures a toe-tapping, sing-along evening (in your head and on the way home, of course!) for fans of the band. These songs are the glue that holds the production together and is definitely worth the price of tickets if you’re a Drifters’ fan.

I had walked into “The Drifter’s Girl” with sky-high expectations, perhaps holding it to too high of expectations, hoping to experience the same magic as I has felt with other jukebox musicals of the stars.

Still, if you’re a Drifters fan, the show’s performances from incredible vocals and if you’re already well up on the history of the group you’ll certainly love it being brought to life and shining a light on this incredible woman in history.