The story behind one of the biggest bands of the 1950s - and the woman who helped them get there - is coming to Canterbury.

The Drifters Girl, inspired by the music of the vocal group, is coming direct from the West End to the Marlowe Theatre for five nights.

The Drifters rose to fame as the backing band for RnB pioneer Clyde McPhatter and were fronted by Stand By Me singer Ben E King in 1959.

The group, which has undergone several line-up changes over the years, are best known for singles such as Saturday Night at the Movies, Save The Last Dance For Me and Under the Boardwalk.

The band’s turbulent history has seen peaks in the early 1950s, the 1960s and the early 1970s, and two variations of the group have been inducted into the Vocal Group Hall of Fame and the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame.

The Drifters Girl is a new musical that takes audiences on a journey through the group’s remarkable career, but also turns the spotlight on their manager Faye Treadwell.

Alongside her husband George Treadwell, Faye fought for three decades to turn the vocal group that she loved into global superstars.

The character, who was the first African American female music manager in history, will be played by West End performer Carly Mercedes Dyer.

“The cast is incredible and the buzz from the audience is going to be electric,” says Carly. “They're in for a great time. I also hope they come away knowing more about who the backbone behind The Drifters was and how much tenacity went into keeping them going. Faye has such a great heart, such great commitment and resilience.

“The show is about this woman who took on an industry which didn't have women in managerial positions and because she was the first African American female manager she was constantly overlooked and undermined.

“As an African American woman in the record business she was groundbreaking, and to persevere when people keep telling you 'no' and shutting down your ideas takes a lot of resilience. She really was ahead of her time because she could have easily just given up and gone home."

The show opened in London in 2021 and was nominated for Best New Musical at the 2022 Olivier Awards.

The Drifters Girl will be at Canterbury’s Marlowe Theatre from Tuesday, October 17 to Saturday, October 21. Book online here.

You can also book tickets by calling 01227 787787.