Olivier nominee Beverley Knight will star in the world premiere of the new musical The Drifters Girl, which will make its world premiere September 5, 2020, at Newcastle Theatre Royal before transferring to London's Garrick Theatre October 1 for a 20-week limited engagement.
Jonathan Church (Singin’ in the Rain) will direct the musical, which charts the story of the vocal group The Drifters and the woman who made them. Knight will play manager Faye Treadwell, who, alongside her husband, fought for three decades to turn Atlantic Records' vocal group into a global phenomenon.
The Drifters Girl, with a book by Ed Curtis, will be designed by Anthony Ward, with choreography by Karen Bruce, lighting design by Ben Cracknell, and music supervision and orchestrations by Chris Egan. Additional creative team members and casting will be announced at a later date.
The production will feature 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.
The Drifters Girl is produced by Michael Harrison and David Ian.
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