Theatre actor Carly Mercedes Dyer is many things but a coddler is not one of them.
Something which surprised some of her male colleagues on tour with the West End musical The Drifters Girl.
“Sometimes the boys in our company naturally think I would coddle them all or say something nice,” she said.
“But I think there’s a reason why I was asked to come in for this role because I’m a bit no-nonsense.”
In this way, Carly can very much relate to her character Faye Treadwell the real-life boss of chart-topper American rhythm-and-blues vocal group, The Drifters.
After the sudden death of her husband and manager of the band George Treadwell, the mum-of-one bought out his partners and took on the group.
Grappling with prejudice and legal battles, Faye persevered through personal tragedy to take The Drifters to London and onto success.
Describing her as “fiercely loyal and determined”, Carly said she could relate to Faye’s seemingly blunt nature and has been inspired by her story on which The Drifters Girl is based.
‘Faye Treadwell knew her worth in a world where she wasn’t seen’
“She’s got such love and a huge heart and space for her daughter, even though it might seem that she’s been working a lot,” she added.
“But she knows this is something she needs to do, just to know that her daughter is going to be okay, regardless of what happens to her.
“It’s someone 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.
“There’s also something quite childlike about that because kids believe they can do anything like ‘I can fly’…But she has that about her where she’s curious.”
Theatre helped Carly conquer shyness
Despite relating to Faye’s up-front nature, Carly said as a young tot in Greenford, she was painfully shy.
It was not until she joined her friend’s dance class that things started to change.
She said: “That had a huge impact on the person I’ve become I suppose because they were like my second family and my closest friends.”
Over the years, Carly began to take on singing lessons and competitions before joining amateur drama groups for summer schools.
During one particular outreach summer school, she “got the bug” and ended up studying at ArtsEd in Chiswick.
Since then, Carly has had many pinch-me moments.
Some of these include being a street dancer in Memphis directed by Christopher Ashley at Shaftesbury Theatre, her first West End job as part of Chicago and playing Anita in West Side Story.
Of course, playing Erma in Anything Goes with some of the big names, going on to win a What’s On Stage award and being nominated for an Olivier she added will forever be a huge career moment.
High pressure to play real-life character
While still an introvert – something Carly said baffles most people after seeing her on stage – she has retained her “I’ll show you” attitude from training.
She explained: “I want to fight back and be challenged in a way that’s like, ‘Oh, can you do those things?’
“Yes, I can. Even though I don’t know if I can, I can. I’ll find a way.”
It is an attitude she and Faye have in common.
However, embodying a real-life role model can feel like a formidable challenge.
Particularly with Faye’s daughter, Tina Treadwell, being a big part of the production which is why Carly was grateful for any insights Tina offered when they met.
Carly said: “I think there’s a huge responsibility to do someone that existed justice but also to represent them in a way that people understand and either empathise or understand you.
“Faye’s just someone who had to fight a lot. As much as people might go, ‘They’re not a palate cleanser.’ It’s like, ‘Yeah but we’re not always like that, because there’s so much at stake.’
“I think a lot of the time as women, we have to go, ‘How can I appease this person? How can I make them feel more comfortable?’ Whereas actually, I’ve just got something to do, I’ve got a job to do.”
The Drifters Girl in Aberdeen
The production which was nominated for Best New Musical at the 2022 Olivier Awards and is peppered with all The Drifters favourite hits is arriving at His Majesty’s Theatre this week.
Having never been to Aberdeen before, Carly said she was excited to take in the north-east’s promised beauty and good audiences.
So far the reaction to the show has been “insane” – particularly in Liverpool which gets a mention in the show – which means Aberdonians certainly have a high bar to match…
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