The five are Beverley Knight who is well known in British Musical Theatre and who created the lead role of Rachel Marron in The Bodyguard.   Matt Henry (who has legs up to his armpits, how did we miss him for the English rowing team or as a fast bowler?) was laden with awards for his role as Lola in Kinky Boots.  Adam J Bernard who plays Faye’s husband George Treadwell, originated the role of Jimmy in Dreamgirls and, like Matt, won an Olivier award, for that show.  Tarinn Callender starred as Bob in Come From Away  and created the roles in Hamilton, London  of Hercules Mulligan and James Madison.  Tosh Wanogho-Maud is less well known apart of course from his role as the footman in Bridgerton but played Jimmy in Dreamgirls and takes on stand out singing roles in as Ben E King in “Stand By Me” and the Drifter who died so young, Rudy Lewis.

The Drifters songs are from several decades starting in the 1950s when Stephen Sondheim was writing the lyrics for West Side Story, through the 1960s when their tunes like “Under the Boardwalk”, “On Broadway” and “Up on the Roof” competed in the charts with the Beatles and the Rolling Stones, to the 1970s, when there were fewer hit parade hits but Faye’s Drifters continued to tour, some of the time in the UK.

The cast take on all the different roles, the wonderfully exaggerated British accents of Roger and Roger or the Brummees for the UK tour and with a giant leap of the imagination they play Peter, Paul and Mary.  I think that was Matt Henry in the long blonde wig!  Matt Henry also imitates Bruce Forsyth for the Sunday Night at the London Palladium show.