As I approached HM Theatre last night, excited to review a new musical I have heard very little about, I was struck by the poster hanging outside.
My Google searching, around half an hour before had told me The Drifters Girl was supposed to be all about the strong woman behind the world-famous, all-male R&B group who have been around in one form or another since the 50s.
Yet looking at the poster all I could see were four men staring back at me.
At first, I thought I had perhaps misunderstood the brief.
But less than five minutes into the show I realised, no, it was a fact the star of the show was to be Carly Mercedes Dyer, a woman, taking on the role of real-life boss to chart-topping American rhythm and blues band, The Drifters.
There is no doubt, that the audience there was out in force for a bit of 50s/60s nostalgia.
I would argue most, will have never even heard of Faye Treadwell, who Dyer was portraying.
But that made the show all the more poignant.
The musical is unsurprisingly based on the hit music of the band throughout its long lifespan and varied members. It focuses on Treadwell’s struggle as manager of the group after the sudden death of her husband George.
The story tells how the mum-of-one bought out her husband’s partners and took them under her wing, grappling with prejudice and legal battles.
But she persevered through personal tragedy to take The Drifters to London and onto success.
In a world where black women were struggling for equality, Dyer portrays a woman who knows her worth in a world where “someone like her isn’t seen or has never been”.
And she perseveres without realising she’s setting up a precedent for other women that are yet to come in the future.
She’s supported by just five other cast members, who together excellently portrayed the story to a more than captivated audience, who were probably, quite frankly only there for the tunes.
And even if they were they would not have been disappointed. The show features all the hit favourites including Saturday Night at the Movies, You’re More Than a Number in My Little Red Book, Sweets for My Sweet, and Save the Last Dance for Me. All were superbly performed by male leads, Miles Anthony Daley, Ashford Campbell, Tarik Frimpong and Daniel Haswell.
The musical itself, staging, script, acting, and costumes are all flawless. And the live orchestra was exactly what it needed to bring the whole thing to life. There was little to be criticised.
It’s just a shame Dyer didn’t have her face on that billboard next to the men who were supporting her.
The Drifters Girl is on at HM Theatre is on until Saturday and is well worth the watch.
There’s plenty there for all looking for a feel-good story about women’s empowerment, just don’t be put off by the posters.
You can buy tickets here.
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