Catch their Drifters!
The Drifters Girl packs a punch with great music and an inspirational tale, writes SIMON BUTTON
FOLLOWING in the footsteps of Beverley Knight and Felicia Boswell as Faye Treadwell in
The Drifters Girl is a daunting prospect for Carly Mercedes Dyer. “But I love a challenge,” says the Olivier Award nominee, “and I’m a completely different person. I’m not Beverly Knight,
I’m not Felicia Boswell, I’m Carly Mercedes Dyer and I’m gonna give audiences my spin on it.”
Fresh from a run in London’s West End, where it played to packed houses and standing ovations nightly, the musical is now bringing the story of the legendary vocal group and the woman who helped turn them into global superstars to stages around the country.
Carly, who was up for an Olivier as Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical for her rave-reviewed turn in Anything Goes, saw the show in London and was intrigued to learn about Faye, who managed The Drifters through the highs and lows of chart-topping hits and soldout tours as well as multiple line-up changes and legal battles.
“She was tenacious, hugely intelligent
and resilient,” the 36-year-old actress marvels. “The show is about this woman who took on an industry which didn’t have women in managerial positions. Because she was the first African-American female manager she was constantly overlooked and undermined.”
After graduating from The Arts Educational School, Carly made her debut in High School Musical and has been in numerous shows since, including Chicago, Memphis (opposite Beverley Knight), Dreamgirls, Sweet Charity, West Side Story and Six.
She finds her latest role relatable, since Faye refused to conform. “I can relate to that 100% because in our industry sometimes people go, ‘Oh okay, that’s what you do’ and they want to keep you in that box. But I like to do things that scare me and push me out of my comfort zone. I never just rest on my laurels. Treadwell’s husband, George, is played on tour by Miles Anthony Daley, who hails from Hackney and whose previous credits include Tina – The Tina Turner Musical and Choir of Man. He sees the character as a commanding one.
“But what I like about George is that in areas where you think his life is very black-and-white, actually there’s a lot of grey. It’s really interesting to explore that space in the middle where he’s opening himself up to become a better version of himself.”
He feels audiences are in for a treat. “There are a lot of ups and downs and the band’s story is really interesting. Plus, of course, it’s full of fantastic music.”
Formed in 1953, The Drifters went on to sell more than 200 million singles, including such huge hits as Save The Last Dance For Me, Under The Boardwalk, Saturday Night At The Movies Kissin’ In The Back Row Of The Movies and Come On Over To My Place, to name just a few. They’ve also sold more than 100 million albums worldwide and in 1988 they were inducted into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame by lifelong fan Billy Joel.
The show demands a lot of its cast in general and of the foursome who play The Drifters in particular. Tarik Frimpong doesn’t just play founder member Clyde McPhatter, he also plays the band’s road manager, Lover Patterson, and a host of other characters.
The 29-year-old Australian was drawn to The Drifters Girl because of the multiple-role aspect of it. “And because it’s so exciting to see an all-black cast on stage. I saw the show in London and seeing the performers play black characters, white characters, younger characters and older characters with all sorts of different accents seemed like a fun challenge.”
Tarik knew many of the songs that are featured in the show, but he didn’t know the story behind them until he saw the West End production.
“It was so interesting to hear about Faye Treadwell’s life and the role that she played in the group’s history and success. It was amazing to hear about this African-American woman who lead this group of men to become superstars.”
Then there’s the character of Clyde McPhatter, of whom he says: “Clyde was a pioneer of R&B and doo-wop and so many artists that came after him speak of him so highly as an idol.”
He added: ‘‘The vocals are out of this world, even if I say so myself, and the choreography is so slick and fast-paced.”
X Factor winner Dalton Harris plays Drifters vocalists Johnny Moore and Gerhart Thrasher, among others, and is relishing the challenge. “The workload is incredibly heavy but it’s also so inspiring,” says the 28-year-old. “It’s the first big musical I’ve done and it’s really pushing me as a performer.”