drifters uk tour reviews

REVIEW: The Drifters Girl (UK Tour, Glasgow 2024)

10 April 2024

The King's Theatre, Glasgow

Come on over to my place; Come on, we're having a party!

That's what you'll be singing as you leave the slick, stylish and fabulously entertaining new musical, The Drifters Girl .

Telling the story of one of the world's greatest, and most unstable, vocal groups The Drifters and the brilliant woman who made them, The Drifters Girl features hit songs Saturday Night at the Movies, Save the Last Dance for Me, Stand By Me and many, many more.

If you thought The Sugababes had a lot of lineup changes, wait till you hear about The Drifters! With over 60 members swapping in and out over the years, several splinter groups and legal battles, there was so much turmoil surrounding this group it's incredible that they had the success that they did.

The Drifters Girl shows us that this success was largely down to the management and oversight of the marvelous Faye Treadwel l who fought for three decades to turn Atlantic Records' hottest vocal group into a global phenomenon. Faye was the world's first African American female music manager and here she is played by the phenomenal Carly Mercedes Dyer . I'm not familiar with the 'real' Faye Treadwell but I can only imagine that Dyer gives a fitting tribute. Her voice and stage presence are superb; she brings the house down with every song. She's a shining star.

The Drifters Girl finely balances the story so that we hear from Faye as she fights for control and the rights to The Drifters name, but we also have plenty of sparkling performances from The Drifters themselves ( Miles Anthony Daley, Ashford Campbell, Tarik Frimpong and Daniel Haswell ).

There is so much story to tell that at points I lost track of who was who and what was going on, and the pace did sag a little in the middle of the first act. But these moments were fleeting and completely negated by the rest of the offering.

The cast are excellent. The four actors who play The Drifters would have you believe that there are 15 of them playing various roles. But no, it's all them. They are just that talented! True triple threats with excellent singing voices, dynamite dance moves and more accents and costume changes than you can shake a stick at. Wow these guys work hard and they are so, so impressive.

The music is of course wonderful, and played live by a great orchestra accompanied by the beautiful, soulful voices of the cast, 'The Drifters' performances do feel like we're at one of their concerts. At times, some of the spoken dialogue was drowned out by the sheer volume of the backing music, so the levels could be improved in parts. But during the vocal performances, everything was perfect.

The Drifters Girl has played in London's West End previously and I was thrilled to read that the touring version would be exactly the same as the West End version, but with an added "get up and dance finale." Joy! The producers certainly know what the tour audiences want! And I think that the West End quality is obvious from the sets, lighting, and overall slick staging of this show. I knew instantly that it was Ben Cracknell lighting. The staging from beginning to end is stunning and one of the most impressive I've seen in regional venues. This show looks expensive!

But the soundtrack is ultimately the star of the show. Even if you don't think you know any Drifters songs: You do! Under The Boardwalk, Kissin In The Back Row Of The Movies, Come On Over To My Place - I danced all the way home. Great fun.

📸 production photos: The Other Richard

The Drifters Girl tickets

(*AD - affiliate links)

The Drifters Girl is at the King's Theatre, Glasgow until Sat 13th April 2024 and then at Edinburgh Playhouse from Tues 30th April until Sat 4th May.

🎟️Tickets: www.atgtickets.com

King’s Theatre, Glasgow

Tue 9 – Sat 13 April

Tues-Sat: 7:30 pm Wed, Thu & Sat: 2:30pm www.atgtickets.com/glasgow

Playhouse Theatre, Edinburgh

Tue 30 April – Sat 4 May

Tues-Sat: 7:30 pm Wed & Sat: 2:30pm www.atgtickets.com/edinburgh

🌟 Also playing in Glasgow this week: 🌟

The Kite Runner is at the Theatre Royal until Sat 13th April 2024.

🎟️ Tickets here: www.atgtickets.com

Read my review of The Kite Runner here

The Drifters Girl Cast (UK Tour 2024)

Carly Mercedes Dyer , former star of Six the Musical and who delighted audiences with her performances as Erma in Anything Goes, will play music industry change-maker, Faye Treadwell.

Carly will star alongside Ashford Campbell , who hit UK screens in ITV’s The X Factor as member of The Risk, continues his journey with The Drifters Girl having performed as part of the West End company, Miles Anthony Daley (Tina Turner: The Musical, Aldwych Theatre; Choir of Man, Arts Theatre), Tarik Frimpong (The Wiz, Hope Mill Theatre; Aladdin, Prince Edward Theatre) and Daniel Haswel l (Aint Too Proud, Prince Edward Theatre; The Book of Mormon, UK Tour; Motown: The Musical, UK & Ireland Tour).

The Drifters Girl also welcomes Jaydah Bell-Ricketts (A Little Princess, Royal Festival Hall; School Of Rock, Gillian Lynne Theatre) to her first touring role as Girl.

Completing the cast is Loren Anderson, Tre Copeland-Williams, Ethan Davis, Matthew Dawkins and Linseigh Green.

The Drifters Girl, with a book by Ed Curtis , is based on an idea by Tina Treadwell and is co-created by Beverley Knight, Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud . It is directed by Jonathan Church . Set design is by Anthony Ward , choreography by Karen Bruce , costume design by Fay Fullerton , lighting design by Ben Cracknell , sound design by Tom Marshall , video design by Andrzej Goulding , orchestrations by Chris Egan and Will Stuart as Musical Supervisor.

REVIEW: The Drifters Girl (UK Tour) at the King's Theatre, Glasgow, April 2024.

🎟️ disclosure: i was invited to review this show and received a complimentary ticket in exchange for my time and for writing this review. neither the venue nor show has a say in what i write. i'm completely independent and review invites do not have any impact on my analysis or star ratings..

✍️ Find more theatre reviews on Lisa in the Theatre here  ✍️

📸 Find Lisa in the Theatre on Instagram for more photos and videos.

• Musical Theatre

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The Drifters’ Girl

★★★☆☆    stories still unsung.

Edinburgh Playhouse: Tue 30 April – Sat 4 May 2024 Review by Tom Ralphs

The Drifters Girl , at the Playhouse this week as part of a UK tour, provides plenty of Drifters hits, hung around the story of Faye Treadwell, who managed the group up until 2001.

For anyone who finds the Sugarbabes line-up changes hard to follow, a quick look at the history of The Drifters will tell you they were mere novices when it came to a revolving door membership.

Since forming in 1953 they have had more than 60 different vocalists and several more members who have come and gone in different variants of the band. Which perhaps makes it inevitable that The Drifters Girl focuses on the woman behind the band rather than the band itself.

Carly Mercedes Dyer as Faye Treadwell and Miles Anthony Daley as George Treadwell. Pic: The Other Richard

Ed Curtis’s book makes Faye Treadwell its central character. It was Faye with her soon-to-be husband, George, who took on the management of an early iteration of the band in the 1950s – when they were an R&B group of the kind that seldom troubled the mainstream US charts. The couple turned them into an international phenomenon renowned for a string of soulful classics such as Save The Last Dance For Me and Saturday Night at The Movies .

A brand as much as a band, it was the songs rather than the singers that mattered. A string of performers including Ben E King – who would go on to be etched into music history as the voice behind Stand By Me – departed or were dismissed for a variety of reasons.

Therein lay the foundations of a subsequent lawsuit over who owned The Drifters name which frames this musical, but also, therein lie the problems that beset it.

skims the surface

There is enough material in the group and Treadwell’s history to fill a long running returning series. To condense it into a two hour show with songs inevitably means that the musical only skims the surface of all that lies behind it. There is seldom any space for characters to develop and even less time for some of the shows themes, such as the racism and misogyny Treadwell faced as the only black female record promoter of the time, to be explored in any depth.

Miles Anthony Daley, Tarik Frimpong, Tré Copeland-Williams, Ashford Campbell, as The Drifters. Pic: The Other Richard

Carly Mercedes Dyer gives a strong performance as Treadwell, capturing the belligerent hard-nosed business woman never afraid to stand up for herself whilst also acknowledging the obstacles that wear her down and reveal her vulnerability. However, Dyer and Jaydah Bell-Ricketts, as Girl, aside all of the remaining cast members play multiple roles, often as a new member of the band replacing a band member they have just portrayed.

The brevity of some of these means that they appear more as caricatures than characters. Tarik Frimpong’s portrayals of original vocalist Clyde McPhatter and Lover Paterson, the promoter who would go on to issue the lawsuit, both fall into this trap to an extent.

The worst example of stereotyped reductionism comes in the characters of Roger and Roger, played by Daniel Haswell and Matthew Dawkins. Representing the English producers and writers responsible for returning the band to the UK charts in the 1970s, they are the upper-class equivalents of Dick Van Dyke’s Mary Poppins character when it comes to authenticity.

ruthlessness

Elsewhere, the stories of some of the more complex people who passed through the band, such as Ruby Lewis, played by Ethan Davis who boasts the best vocals of the four cast who play band members, who died in 1964 aged 27, are glossed over. Moreover, the portrayal of Treadwell never questions the ruthlessness of her and her husband when it came to discarding band members, showing little understanding or sympathy for the reasons why they may have fallen briefly off the rails.

Ashford Campbell, Tré Copeland-Williams, Tarik Frimpong, Miles Anthony Daley as The Drifters. Pic: The Other Richard

This is more the result of the amount of material and history that the show crams in, and the decisions of director Jonathan Church, rather than the actors themselves, who all cope well with the constant switching and try to make distinctions between characters whenever there is scope to do it.

The production and design team also imaginatively manage the task of covering at least twenty five years over the course of the show. Fay Fullerton’s costume design tracks the changes in fashion and marks the transition between different eras of the band with great success.

extra element

Anthony Ward’s set design fills multiple roles from setting mood, to setting time, location and, when it combines with Andrzej Goulding’s video design, supporting Karen Bruce’s choreography. It adds an extra element to dance routines that switch from individualistic to micromanaged to ensure band members never take an unsynchronised step out of turn.

It’s a musical that is more about the music than the story, which is fine if you are primarily interested in hearing the songs. But frustrating when there is such a fascinating and rich story waiting to be mined. At the end of the evening, Faye Treadwell’s story remains largely in the background, just as it has always been.

Running time: two hours and 15 minutes (including one interval) Playhouse, 18 – 22 Greenside Place, EH1 3AA. Phone booking: 0844 871 3014. Tue 30 April – Sat 4 May 2024 Tue – Sat: 7.30pm; Mats Wed, Sat: 2.30pm Tickets and details: Book here .

The Company of The Drifters Girl . Pic: The Other Richard

Tags: Andrzej Goulding , Anthony Ward , Carly Mercedes Dyer , Daniel Haswell , Ed Curtis , Edinburgh Playhouse , Ethan Davis , Fay Fullerton , Jaydah Bell-Ricketts , Jonathan Church , Karen Bruce , Matthew Dawkins , Musicals , Playhouse , Review , Tarik Frimpong , The Drifters Girl , Tom Ralphs

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‘The Drifters Girl’ review

• Theatre, Musicals

Time Out says

Beverley Knight stars in this deeply cynical jukebox musical hagiography of Faye Treadwell, long-term manager of The Drifters

This review is from November 2021. Felicia Boswell has taken over the role of Faye Treadwell.

If you think it’s a stretch to make The Drifters’ female manager the lead character in a musical about the famously all-male vocal group… then you don’t know The Drifters.

Yes, some of their songs are incredibly famous: ‘Under the Boardwalk’, ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’, etc. But the turnover of members has been truly bewildering, with some 60 individuals passing through their ranks over the decades. There was only one constant: their manager, Faye Treadwell. She didn’t do any singing. But in a musical it’s hardly a massive flex to give her some songs and make ‘The Drifters Girl’ a vehicle for Brit soul star Beverley Knight.

And as a musical it certainly has its moments: basically any time Knight gets to sing. Her hardworking supporting cast – Adam J Bernard, Tarinn Callender, Matt Henry and Tosh Wanogho-Maud – are gifted multitaskers with fine voices who nail the many incarnations of the band’s mannered, lovelorn, doo-wop harmonies. But her voice is the big one, an elemental force that sets the air aflame – truly a master at work.

However, she doesn’t actually get to sing that often, because it’s a musical based on the songs of, y’know, The Drifters. Tunes are rearranged for Knight’s voice and she nails them, but as a singer she’s only really here as a guest star. In fact, she’s mostly employed to act, which she does decently: her Arkansas accent sounded fine to me, and she imbues the role of Treadwell with a sort of tough maternalistic charm, the stern mother trying to do what’s right by her ever-shifting roster of sons… although whether her actions actually bear this out is another matter.

There are two big problems with the story. One, even with Treadwell as the focus, Ed Curtis’s script never manages to make digestible sense of The Drifters’ churning ranks. Fair play, Jonathan Church’s production has some fun with the ridiculousness of the situation, but with the same four male actors playing all the roles, you effectively don’t know who most of the people on stage are supposed to be at any given time; many aren’t even named. There’s a degree of focus on whoever the lead Drifter happened to be. But these aren’t terribly deep: all we learn about Ben E King is that he was apparently a bit of a dick… and then the musical has the audacity to feature ‘Stand By Me’ – written by King, and not actually a Drifters song – not once, but twice. 

Problem two is more insidious. Yes, Treadwell‘s achievements as a Black businesswoman are undeniable. She succeeded in a racist and sexist society, and in keeping the band going in the wake of her beloved husband George’s untimely death (in 1967 – the musical seems to imply it happened a lot earlier – presumably to suggest she was sole manager for longer than she actually was).

But ‘The Drifters Girl’ doesn’t really build a very sympathetic case for her specific actions. Her greatest concrete achievement was doggedly hanging on to the name The Drifters and using it to maximise the earning power of a series of different groups of low paid musicians who she and her husband would sign and dismiss at will. I mean good for her, but it’s not exactly romantic. (It’s notable that the prodigiously talented King, given short shrift here, was fired because he wanted a pay rise and royalties). 

The show concludes with a section in which Treadwell takes a version of the group to success in ’70s Britain, which most certainly did happen. But then it takes a flight into fantasy as her logic in crossing the pond is shown to have been to build up a litigation war chest to fight for legal control over the band’s name – spurred on by her desire to return to the US and reunite with her daughter, left behind on her British adventure. In fairness to writer Curtis: the actual litigation history of The Drifters name is so convoluted that attempts to read up on it have given me multiple migraines. Simplification is understandable. But the prosaic truth is that Faye spent most of the rest of her life locked in legal battles that would never have occurred if it wasn’t for her and George’s hire and fire approach to band members, while The Drifters decamped to the UK because they weren’t very popular in the US anymore. The neat, sentimental ending belies the fact that Curtis is trying desperately to magic heroism out of a series of protracted copyright disputes.

I don’t think musicals need to be one hundred percent accurate, or even fifty percent. But I couldn’t help but find ‘The Drifters Girl’ a bit tawdry. Requiring the blessing of Faye’s daughter Tina, it’s a hagiographic show about somebody who, in many ways, was the very embodiment of exploitative record industry practices. Yes, the record industry was – and still is – largely comprised of white men taking shameless advantage of artists.  But it’s debatable whether Faye’s ability to go toe-to-toe with them is a genuine cause for celebration.  And even if you think I’m off the mark here, there’s surely a more compelling story to be told about Faye Treadwell and The Drifters: one that focusses on a narrower window of time, which doesn’t just see the band members as bit players, and is less hung up on her ownership of the sodding band name.

Come to see it because the songs are great and because every now and then you get to hear Beverley Knight let rip. But really, this is the jukebox musical genre at its most cynical.

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Review, The Drifters Girl UK Tour, At The Manchester Opera House

Sarah christie.

12th October 2023

Last night, I delved into the intricate tale of The Drifters Girl. Spending a couple of hours journeying back in time was pure joy.

When a musical group predates your era, you often appreciate the music primarily for their latest hits. However, the narrative of The Drifters goes beyond their songs, encompassing both the band itself and the formidable woman steering this ever-evolving musical ship.

AD | I have been or could be if you click on a link in this post compensated via a cash payment, gift or something else of value for writing this post. See our full disclosure policy and privacy policy for more details.

Review, The Drifters Girl UK Tour, Manchester

About the drifters.

The Drifters are a legendary American R&B group with a rich history and enduring popularity. Originally formed in 1953 by Clyde McPhatter, a former member of the popular R&B group The Dominoes. Initially, the group was intended to serve as a backing group for McPhatter.

The group achieved significant success during the 1950s and 1960s, with several hit songs that are considered classics, including “Money Honey,” “There Goes My Baby,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” and “Up on the Roof.”

However, they went through multiple lineup changes and dramas over the years. These changes often marked shifts in the group’s musical style and direction, creating distinct eras within the group’s history.

What is The Show About?

While The Drifters Girl draws inspiration from The Drifters, it doesn’t primarily revolve around the band itself. Instead, the central narrative focuses on the life of Faye Treadwell, portrayed by Loren Anderson as the wife of George Treadwell, the manager of The Drifters, played by Miles Anthony Daley.

The story delves into their love story, Faye’s unwavering determination to safeguard the name “The Drifters” amidst a backdrop of ever-changing lineups, tragedies, and drama.

This narrative also sheds light on the challenges faced by businesswomen during that era. It explores the struggles of people of colour as they sought equal treatment in a society where their contributions were significant. Furthermore, the show highlights Faye Treadwell’s enduring battle as a working woman and mother to retain ownership of a business she had worked tirelessly to establish.

Review of the Drifters Girl

Faye Treadwell reflects on her life while recounting the story of the Treadwell Drifters to her daughter, The Girl, portrayed by Jaydah Bell-Ricketts. This narrative highlights how she became the sole black female record promoter during a challenging era, all while managing a band that saw over 60 different vocalists throughout the years.

The challenge of coordinating a cast of over 70, with only six principal actors, is evident. The show’s brilliance lies in its compact cast of six, with Miles Anthony Daley, Ashford Campbell, Tarik Frimpong, and Dalton Harris carrying the lion’s share. They seamlessly transition between numerous roles, including the 60 Drifters, bar staff, hotel receptionists, music producers and studio executives, to name a few.

The show adds a touch of comedy to the narrative as characters switch rapidly between the ever-changing Drifters. While it can be intense as you decipher who is who, once you settle in and let the story unfold, it’s filled with nostalgia, joy and girl power.

The cast is incredible their talent awe astounding with fast-paced, sincere performances that had the whole house on its feet for the last part of the show.

Where can you see The Drifters Girl?

You can see  The Drifters Girl until the 14th of October at the Opera House Manchester  with tickets from £13.00.

Then The Drifters Girl UK Tour is Showing At 

• Milton Keynes Theatre , Tue 24 Oct – Sat 28 Oct 2023
• New Victoria Theatre, Woking, Tue 21 Nov – Sat 25 Nov 2023
• Bristol Hippodrome, Tue 9 Jan – Sat 13 Jan 2024
• Liverpool Empire, Tue 27 Feb – Sat 2 Mar 2024
• New Theatre Oxford, Tue 5 Mar – Sat 9 Mar 2024
• Sunderland Empire, Tue 26 Mar – Sat 30 Mar 2024
• King’s Theatre, Glasgow , Tue 9 Apr – Sat 13 Apr 2024
• Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 30 Apr – Sat 4 May 2024
• Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tue 16 Jan – Sat 20 Jan 2024

Please note I was gifted the tickets in return for an honest review, but all thoughts all my own. See more theatre reviews here.

Sarah Christie is a craft, food, cruise, and family travel blogger Extraordinary Chaos, Cruising For All and Mini Travellers. Known for her unique perspective and ability to find beauty in chaos, Sarah designs and creates craft projects as well as creating recipes for people who want to cook from scratch the easy way. Whilst also exploring family travel and how to navigate it.

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Review: The Drifters Girl at The Bristol Hippodrome

Don’t miss out, it really is a must see show.

I grew up listening, singing and dancing, to the harmonious vocals of ‘The Drifters‘. Every family party, every Christmas, my granddad would play his LP vinyl records, all the classics... “Come on over to my place”, “Hello, Happiness”, “Kissin’ in the back row of the movies”, “Saturday night at the movies”, “There goes my first love”, “Under the boardwalk”, “When my little girl is smiling”, “Save the last dance for me”, “You’re more than a number in my little red book”, and my absolute favourite “Stand by me” (famously sung by Ben. E. King). A smorgasbord of all these classic hits, and many more ’bangers’ were there in the show tonight to delight the audience.

The musical depicted the struggles of Faye Treadwell, a black woman managing and promoting the American Doo-Wop, R&B, Soul vocal group ‘The Drifters’. Faye continuously fought to be heard, she was a black woman in a white man’s world. She was a fiercely independent force to be reckoned with. Faye doggedly fought against racism and sexism to become the only black female record promoter of the time. Faye and her husband George led, managed, and supported ‘The Drifters’  through three Golden Eras of the 50’s, 60’s and 70’, and into the Vocal Group’s and  Rock & Roll’s halls of Fame. 65 years on, ‘The Drifters’ are still going strong and are back on tour performing their classic hits from the last six decades. They have been listed among the top 100 greatest artists of all time by Rolling Stone magazine.

  The show tells the story of the highs and lows, the unstable and constantly changing line up of the group (with 60 members drifting in and out of the group), contract and wage issues, the legal battles concerning the formation of other splinter ‘Drifters‘ groups and ownership of ‘The Drifters’ name. It tells the story of George’ vision for the group, and then Faye’s struggles and determination to continue with George’s vision, to do what she thought was best, whilst dealing with her heartache after George’s untimely death in 1967, how she pushed on through it all on her own, often sacrificing family life, to carry on George’s legacy, and as a role model for the sake of, and benefit to, their daughter Tina. Faye was an inspiration to women and black people and deserves to have her story sung out loudly and proudly. George and Faye’s daughter Tina has worked with producers to see that their story is told both in the West End and on Broadway.

‘The Drifters’ male cast members had a challenging task, their performance calling for them to often play multiple character roles, in quick succession... and they smashed it! The dance routines were mesmerising and the vocals were outstanding, notable especially when they sang a cappella.  

I didn’t know how I was going to be able to control myself when I saw signs dotted around the Hippodrome asking for theatre goers to refrain from singing along or dancing.... I mean the music of the Drifters! How can you not?

This performance and its music stirred up personal memories for me of days gone by. Its transported me on a roller-coaster of emotions- I laughed, I cried, and more importantly it made me think. The story raises you up with its’ music, and just as quickly drops you with its sobering moments of anger due to the injustices of racism, and sadness with the deaths of Faye’s husband, George Treadwell, and ‘Drifter’ Rudy Lewis (a suspected drug overdose aged just 27). However, don’t miss out, it really is a must see show! I was sorry when the show ended with “You’re more than a number in my little red book” (this was the final musical number listed in the programme) as I knew the evening was sadly coming to an end. However, after the greatly deserved standing ovation at the end of the performance, we were rewarded with a medley of all the hits, a get-up-and-dance finale. The crowd were upstanding, and clapped, and sang, and danced their way out of the theatre!

The Drifters Girl continues at The Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday 13 January 2024.

For all upcoming Bristol Hippodrome shows  click here

Article by:

Colette Hand, BA graduate of Bath Spa University and retired primary school teacher. Now an avid crafter for charity and volunteer shop assistant for SENSE charity. Enjoys time spent with twin grandchildren.

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Review, The Drifters Girl UK Tour, Opera House, Manchester

Last night, I spent a couple of hours back in time wrapping my head around the complex story of The Drifters. As I share my review of The Drifters Girl Musical at the Opera House, Manchester, bear with me. Because this show was a million miles away from what I thought it would be. But in a good way.

When a band is a little before your time, you accept the band for the music. For me, it is the latest of their hits. But there’s so much more to the story of The Drifters, the band and the powerhouse of a woman behind this ever-evolving group.

If you want to see me create my projects, follow me on Tik Tok and Instagram.

Review of The Drifters Girl

About the drifters.

“The Drifters” is a well-known American R&B group with several iterations and line-up changes. Formed in 1953 by Clyde McPhatter, also the lead vocalist for the popular group The Dominoes. Initially, The Drifters were created as a backing group for McPhatter, but they eventually became a successful act in their own right.

They had a series of hits during the 1950s and 1960s. Some of their most famous songs include “There Goes My Baby,” “Save the Last Dance for Me,” “Under the Boardwalk,” and “Up on the Roof.” These songs are considered classics in the R&B genre and continue to be popular today.

The group underwent numerous lineup changes over the years, and different members contributed to its success. This fluidity in the group’s membership led to various eras in their music, with different lead singers and stylistic shifts.

What Is The Drifters Girl About?

Yes, The Drifters Girl is based on the Drifters, but they are not the story’s main focus. The story is about Faye Treadwell (Loren Anderson), the wife of the Drifters’ manager, George Treadwell (Miles Anthony Daley). How they met, and she fought to keep the name “The Drifters” despite continuous lineup changes, tragedies and dramas.

It looks at the challenges businesswomen had in that era. But also people of colour and their struggles to be treated as equals in a society where their personal contribution was huge. Also, how Faye Treadwell had to fight as a working woman and mother to keep hold of a business she had worked too hard to build.

My Review of The Drifters Girl

Faye Treadwell looks back on her life as she tells her daughter, The Girl (Jaydah Bell-Ricketts), the story of the Treadwell Drifters and how she became the only black female record promoter of the time, against the odds but also with a band that, over the years, had over 60 different vocalists.

And there is the difficulty: how does a producer coordinate a cast of over 70, with only six principles, the rest playing small parts? The genius of the show is that it’s a cast of 6. Miles Anthony Daley, Ashford Campbell, Tarik Frimpong, and Dalton Harris playing the lion’s share. Moving between many of the 60 Drifters, bar staff, hotel receptionists, music producers, executives and taxi drivers.

It’s all a bit bonkers but so clever. At times brings a comedic element to the story, others moving fast between the everchanging Drifers. It shouldn’t work, but it does. It sometimes makes the story intense as you work out who is who. But once you relax and go with the flow, it’s joyous.

The cast has talent and charisma in bundles, making this such a wonderful, joy-filled show.

Where can you see The Drifters Girl?

You can see The Drifters Girl until the 14th of October at the Opera House Manchester with tickets from £13.00.

Then The Drifters Girl UK Tour is Showing At

• Milton Keynes Theatre, Tue 24 Oct – Sat 28 Oct 2023
• New Victoria Theatre, Woking, Tue 21 Nov – Sat 25 Nov 2023
• Bristol Hippodrome, Tue 9 Jan – Sat 13 Jan 2024
• Liverpool Empire, Tue 27 Feb – Sat 2 Mar 2024
• New Theatre Oxford, Tue 5 Mar – Sat 9 Mar 2024
• Sunderland Empire, Tue 26 Mar – Sat 30 Mar 2024
• King’s Theatre, Glasgow, Tue 9 Apr – Sat 13 Apr 2024
• Edinburgh Playhouse, Tue 30 Apr – Sat 4 May 2024
• Regent Theatre, Stoke-on-Trent, Tue 16 Jan – Sat 20 Jan 2024

Please note I was gifted the tickets in return for an honest review; see more theatre reviews here.

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Review: The Drifters Girl at Opera House in Manchester

Classic hits galore form backdrop to compelling story of legendary vocal group

The Drifters Girl

• 13:34, 12 OCT 2023

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Full disclosure: as a young boy, The Drifters were my first ever favourite band!

It’s true this was more about the British-based Bell era of the group in the 70s rather than the undeniably cooler earlier days on the legendary Atlantic label in the 50s and 60s and I confess I assumed going into this show that it would be dominated by the American period of their success.

How wrong I was! The four supremely talented performers who played the band in all its incarnations burst onto the stage and opened with Hello Happiness, Kissin’ in the Back Row of the Movies and There Goes My First Love and suddenly I was 12 years old all over again!

In short, I was absolutely the target audience for this and it did not disappoint for a moment.

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And yet it left me with a certain sense of shame because as big a Drifters fan as I have been over the decades, I was not remotely aware of the story of Faye Treadwell or even of her existence and yet this impressive piece of work makes it clear that without her, we would not be talking about this band almost 70 years after they first came into being.

To be fair, though, I am not alone. When producer Michael Harrison decided he wanted to put together a musical based on these classic songs, he encountered Faye’s daughter Tina who told her if he wanted to tell the story of The Drifters, he needed to tell the story of her mother.

Which is what we have here and what a story it is.

The foundations of the band’s success were built by Faye and her husband George but this was very much a partnership of equals which led to Faye taking total control when George died in 1967.

The idea of someone who was not just a woman but an African American woman running one of the biggest vocal groups in US musical history was resisted and despised by pretty much the entire industry and there were many - unsuccessful - attempts to wrest control from her grasp.

So the first thing to stress is that The Drifters Girl - which was first performed just two years ago, has already had an acclaimed West End run starring Beverley Knight and is now on its first UK tour - is not just another jukebox musical (even though the first thing you see on stage when the curtain rises is an actual jukebox!).

It is a show which deals primarily with issues of racism and sexism but also homosexuality, suicide, drug abuse, alcoholism - but it also happens to be one of the most joyous, exhilarating and emotionally engaging musicals you could ever wish to see.

Crucial to the show’s success, therefore, is a charismatic female star who cannot only sing but also convincingly handle the dramatic weight of the story and on the night I saw it, that was achieved magnificently by Loren Anderson, standing in for Carly Mercedes Dyer who is due to play the role during most of the UK tour.

Anderson was breathtaking as she coped with the huge demands of a character who had to embody the notion of female empowerment during a time when such a concept was virtually unknown and when she took centre stage to sing, she took it to a whole other level, with highlights including Harlem Child and a superb new arrangement of Stand By Me which was delivered with such incredible emotion to close the first half.

An important point to emphasise is that as good as the music is from start to finish, the story of this band is utterly compelling and unusual. Apparently more than 60 singers have been part of The Drifters over the decades but as Faye Treadwell points out more than once, the New York Yankees may change personnel on a regular basis but they remain the Yankees.

Some of those singers gained more prominence than most, starting with founder Clyde McPhatter, then Ben Nelson - who left to become solo superstar Ben E King - the tragic figure of Rudy Lewis and then the band’s longest serving member Johnny Moore who took lead vocals on all but one of their 70s hits.

All of these and many more are played by the same astonishing artists - Ashford Campbell, Tarik Frimpong and Dalton Harris. Miles Anthony Daley completes the quartet while also playing the major role of George Treadwell whose finest moment comes after his death when he performs a new arrangement of There Goes My Baby which I thought was actually better than the Drifters’ original.

A word, too, about the final member of the cast Jaydah Bell-Ricketts in a role simply described as ‘Girl’ who is a crucial part of the production’s framing device of Faye telling the story to her daughter but who also acts as an adaptation of the Greek chorus concept and is therefore on stage for a significant proportion of the show.

Well over 20 Drifters classics from all eras of the band’s success are featured, some only briefly but biggies like Stand By Me, Saturday Night at the Movies, Save The Last Dance for Me and more get the full treatment and gloriously there is a singalong at the end which involved every single member of an exuberant audience.

I have only one gripe and it is a personal one! The first single I ever bought with my own money was Like Sister and Brother at the age of 11 and it doesn’t feature in the show but when you have a group who scored dozens of hits, omissions areinevitable.

By the way, The Drifters are still going strong in 2023, almost constantly touring, and are still managed by Tina Treadwell, carrying on the long family tradition. In fact, they have two shows taking place at The Brindley in Runcorn next month!

The Drifters Girl can be seen at the Opera House in Manchester until October 14.

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The Drifters Girl – UK Tour

Aside from being a wedding dancefloor staple, I didn’t know an awful lot about The Drifters.

And now, after watching The Drifters Girl – the jukebox musical biography of the band – I think my ignorance can well and truly be forgiven, because it seems like The Drifters didn’t really exist.

‘The Drifters’ was merely a title associated with a conveyor belt of singers that had no real creative identity – think Sugababes circa 2009, who were essentially a different band with every single they released.

The only constant in The Drifters history, was indeed their ‘girl’ – Faye Treadwell (Carly Mercedes Dyer) – who managed the group.

This is her story – or at least, sporadic summaries of ‘things that happened to her’. There is no sense of an arc or conflict, other than the fact that people consistently tend not to take Faye seriously in her role as a manager – but even then, there are no consequences related to this depicted anywhere in the show. She doesn’t necessarily overcome those adversaries, nor does she learn or grow from that failure.

There is a brief hook for the audience to cling onto through Faye’s short-lived relationship with original Drifters manager George, but this feels rushed, and attempts to link it to the character’s overall motivation to continue working with the band as part of ‘his legacy’ are ultimately, shallow.

The narrative – and I use the term very loosely – plays out against a court case, involving former Drifters, who have set up their own new Drifters, and are now suing the current Drifters, for not being real Drifters.

Not the best elevator pitch you’ve ever heard, is it?

Again, I’d point to Sugababes circa 2011, when the original line-up started performing as Mutya Keisha Siobhán – but were generally considered amongst the public as the proper Sugababes when compared to the most recent line-up. (As far as I’m aware, no one sued anyone about this – and if they did, quite rightly, no one thought this was a compelling enough circumstance to make a musical about).

Without this Sugababes parallel, who knows whether I would have been able to grasp what was going on, as with cast members jumping between so many roles at such great speed, it was hard to know – but especially hard to care – which year you were in, who the current lead singer was or why they were leaving, then returning, then leaving again and… okay, let’s stop being mean.

The fact is, if this musical was about the music alone then it would be a sure-fire hit.

Carly Mercedes Dyer has a remarkable range and brings the house down at least three times in the first act alone. Miles Anthony Daley, Ashford Campbell, Daniel Haswell and Tarik Frimpong embody the many, many Drifters and do their best with a confusing script to differentiate each character with strikingly different mannerisms, accents and overall physicality.

And by the end, they all somehow rise above the poorly executed incidental moments (in this case, the entire story) and manage to get the audience up on their feet with the pure power of lending their impressive voices to undeniable hits.

These tracks, despite not being linked to any sort of consistent creative entity, cannot be questioned in terms of their quality, and you do end up forgiving much of the show’s weaknesses the very moment ‘Under the Boardwalk’ or ‘Saturday Night at the Movies’ starts to play.

It’s just such a shame that the overall effect of watching this musical is like going to a concert where the artist fills in the gaps between songs by reading extracts from their Wikipedia page.  Even the strongest of hit songs cannot sustain these kinds of tedious interruptions, but who knows, at the rate of jukebox musicals being commissioned, we can’t be far off discovering whether The Drifter’s Girl walked so Sugababes: The Musical could fly.

UK TOUR, Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff

Culture | Theatre

The Drifters Girl at the Garrick review: Great music but this jumbled jukebox story is painfully clunky

Soul diva Beverley Knight and four male co-stars deliver barnstorming versions of a host of Drifters hits, from Money Honey to Under the Boardwalk, in this high-energy, admirably compact, but distinctly odd show. Like Tina and Jersey Boys it’s a mixture of eulogistic biography and jukebox musical, but the life celebrated here isn’t the artists’ but their manager’s.

Faye Treadwell (Knight) was a hard-nosed, pioneering black businesswoman in the institutionally racist, sexist 1950s American music industry. Alongside her husband George, then alone after his sudden death, she crafted a barrier-shattering brand, not a band. The Drifters lasted 60 years, transitioned from the R&B to the Hot 100 pop chart and ended up in the White House. They also got through 60 members, Treadwell likening the trademarked institution to the New York Yankees. Breakaways like Ben E King were sued if they tried to trade on past association.

An extraordinary woman, clearly: but it’s odd to have a musical celebrating the disposability of creatives. Particularly as, here, performance is everything. A quartet of male musical theatre stalwarts - Matt Henry, Tosh Wanogho-Maud, Tarinn Callender and Adam J Bernard - belt out note-perfect versions of wonderful songs and play several Drifters each.

They also play all the other parts, from Atlantic Records boss Ahmet Ertegun to Bruce Forsyth. Inevitably, this leads to some cartoonish characterisation, especially when they’re playing British record execs and hotel clerks. Or women.

There’s a constant conflict between the adroit and the clumsy in Jonathan Church’s production. The staging is pleasingly simple, with a kaleidoscopic set of neon tubes, textured walls and video screens from Anthony Ward and well-drilled doo-wop dance routines from Karen Bruce. But oh dear, Ed Curtis’s script is awful, full of clunking exposition and bathos.

The framing concept is that Faye is explaining the Drifters’ history to her young daughter: the business battles, lawsuits, the early death of gay lead singer Rudy Lewis, and her own shortcomings as a mother. Weirdly, the songs slot more neatly into this thumpingly obvious arc of adversity, regret and eventual triumph than in most compilation musicals. It should be noted that this show is the brainchild of Faye’s daughter Tina, and that the five adult actors are credited as co-creators. So maybe Curtis isn’t entirely to blame for the shortcomings in the story.

Ultimately, though, this show depends on the quality of the music. As an actor, Knight is passably authoritative, angry and anguished as Faye, but when she transitions into full-throated song, time seems to stop. Her four male co-stars deliver immaculate performances of Sweets for My Sweet, Stand By Me and the furious Rat Race, unselfishly swapping the spotlight and the vocal pyrotechnics. Faye Treadwell’s story is worth telling: but maybe the Drifters story is all about the unsung artists after all.

Garrick Theatre, to 26 March; nimaxtheatres.com

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Review: the drifters girl.

By: Cathryn Macey, TRP Reviewer

You’ve heard of their hits including Saturday Night at the Movies and Under the Boardwalk, but have you heard about the woman behind The Drifters huge success? Probably not.

Faye Treadwell was The Drifters’ feisty and fearless manager and Drifters Girl is her inspiring story.

Even today, 70 years on from the start of Faye’s career, the music industry is sometimes accused of being too male dominated. So, it’s hard to imagine the obstacles Faye (Carly Mercedes Dyer) faced as a black, unmarried female starting out in a world where usually the only women in the office were white secretaries. This is what is special about the show; the soundtrack is familiar and fun, but its narrative is bold and original.

It starts with a harmonious medley of The Drifters hits before shifting to an important court case that threatens to destroy Treadwell’s hard-earned reputation.  With more line up changes than The Sugababes, it’s hardly surprising that a lot of counterfeit groups gigging across America start claiming to be The Drifters. A now widowed Faye must prove that she has, and always will, manage the authentic version of the band.

And so, we go back in time to 1954 when a feisty young Faye impresses her future husband (George Treadwell) when he overhears her taking no nonsense from a flirtatious Nat King Cole at a club. Bowled over by Faye’s refreshing attitude and shrewd business sense, George (Miles Anthony Daley) soon appoints Faye as The Drifter’s co manager and her transformation from school administrator to international music mogul begins.

During this glorious transition, Mercede Dyer’s traditional 1950’s pastel shift dress is swiftly updated with the addition of a glamorous, ankle length silver coat which she quickly pairs with sophisticated long gloves. This is the first of many impressive costume changes engineered by costume designer, Laura Hunt. As the set mainly consists of large grey and black blocks with a texture evocative of a recording studio, these dazzling costume changes really stand out. It’s just one of many moving moments enhanced by the winning combination of on-stage talent, set design, live music and lighting.

The performance maybe, in some ways, an unashamedly upbeat romp through The Drifters large back catalogue of iconic hits, but it’s also an unflinching account of life in a racially segregated America. Jonathan Church directs a show which doesn’t shy away from tough topics. Subjects like conscription, racism and drug addiction are all powerfully explored over the course of the evening.

That said, there are many joyous and harmonious renditions of the group’s biggest hits. The cast playing the different variations of The Drifters (Ashford Campbell, Tarik Frimpong and Daniel Haswell) all exude a lot of infectious energy and unbridled enthusiasm. Not only can they all sing with voices as smooth as Bruno Mars, but they also gyrate like Elvis.

Although we learn about the complicated lives of its many band members, the spotlight rightly belongs to its star, Faye Treadwell (Carly Mercedes Dyer). Dyer’s connection with the audience is strong and made even stronger during her solo performances; her flawless version of “Stand by me” silences a lively audience. This rearrangement of a famous song to express Faye’s grief is particularly memorable and more evidence of Mercedes Dyer’s unique talent for expressing heartfelt emotion when she sings.

The history behind this story is fascinating, the cast are all phenomenally talented and learning about Faye’s personal and political struggles is hugely inspirational.

This really is a wonderful show that must be seen – you don’t even need to know who The Drifters are to enjoy it! It’s one for anyone interested in popular culture, music and trail blazing women like the awesome Faye Treadwell.

Grab a ticket and be prepared to leave The Lyric both educated and energised!

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‘The Drifters Girl’ announces casting for tour

The highly acclaimed musical ‘The Drifters Girl’ gears up for its UK and Ireland tour. It arrives at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley from April 23rd to 27th, 2024. The production’s stellar cast will led by the talented Carly Mercedes Dyer in the role of Faye Treadwell.

Dyer, an Olivier Award nominee, steps into the formidable shoes of predecessors Beverley Knight and Felicia Boswell. Acknowledging the challenge, she says, “I love a challenge, and I’m a completely different person. I’m Carly Mercedes Dyer, and I’m gonna give you my spin on it.”

Fresh off a successful run in London’s West End, where it garnered nightly standing ovations, ‘The Drifters Girl’ embarks on a nationwide tour, bringing the compelling story of the iconic vocal group and the woman behind their success to audiences across the UK and Ireland.

The compelling story of Faye Treadwell’s journey managing The Drifters through chart-topping hits, sold-out tours, and numerous lineup changes unfolds through hit songs such as ‘Stand By Me,’ ‘Saturday Night At The Movies,’ ‘Under The Boardwalk,’ ‘Save The Last Dance For Me,’ and ‘Kissin’ In The Back Row of the Movies.’

Carly Mercedes Dyer, known for her acclaimed performance in ‘Anything Goes,’ brings a fresh perspective to Faye’s character, describing her as “tenacious, hugely intelligent, and resilient.” The musical sheds light on Faye’s groundbreaking role as the first African-American female manager in an industry dominated by men.

Miles Anthony Daley portrays George Treadwell, Faye’s husband. The actor, who sees touring as a thrilling challenge, notes the show’s mix of joy, triumph, and drama, coupled with fantastic music, ensuring a delightful experience for audiences nationwide.

Tarik Frimpong, an Australian actor with an impressive musical theatre background, takes on the role of Clyde McPhatter, the founder of ‘The Drifters’, along with various other characters. He appreciates the unique challenge of an all-black cast portraying diverse roles and finds the educational aspect of the show enriching for the audience.

Ashford Campbell, known for his role as Ben E. King, emphasises the personal growth in this significant undertaking. The former X Factor contestant is up for the challenge of the demands of live theatre.

The youngest member of the cast, Jaydah Bell-Ricketts, plays Faye’s daughter and describes her character as curious and sassy. Excited about her first adult role and first-ever tour, Jaydah praises Carly Mercedes Dyer as an incredible mentor.

‘The Drifters’, formed in 1953, achieved immense success with over 200 million singles sold and induction into the Rock & Roll Hall of Fame in 1988. The musical promises a rollercoaster of emotions, from laughter to drama, intertwined with the band’s incredible music.

‘The Drifters Girl’ UK and Ireland tour is set to deliver an unforgettable experience, blending entertainment with education. As the cast prepares to embark on this theatrical journey, audiences are in for a treat of exceptional vocals, slick choreography, and a story that transcends musical history.

Don’t miss the chance to witness this captivating production at the Churchill Theatre in Bromley from April 23rd to 27th, 2024. Book your tickets now and immerse yourself in the timeless melodies and compelling narrative of ‘The Drifters Girl’.

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Watch CBS News

Harry and Meghan wrap up a very royal looking tour of Nigeria

By Holly Williams

May 13, 2024 / 11:10 AM EDT / CBS News

London — Britain's Prince Harry and Meghan, the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, wrapped up a three-day tour of Nigeria on Sunday that saw the U.S.-based couple use their celebrity to highlight some of the causes they care most about.

Harry played a game of sitting volleyball with disabled athletes — all of them Nigerian army veterans. 

Nigeria has expressed interest in hosting the Invictus Games, the charity sporting event for wounded soldiers founded a decade ago by the duke.

Meghan co-hosted a women's leadership event where she referenced her Nigerian ancestry for the second time during the trip.  

"Thank you very much for how graciously you've all been welcoming my husband and I to this country," she said, pausing before adding, "my country." 

The simple two words were met with cheering and applause.

Predictably, given the couple's longstanding enmity with the U.K.'s tabloid media, some British newspapers pointed out that Harry and Meghan's visit to Nigeria looked very much like a royal tour - including the duke's inspection of a Nigerian military guard of honor — despite them having left behind their roles as "working royals ."

At one point Harry stood to attention for his country's national anthem, God Save the King, just days after the couple's press team said King Charles III couldn't carve out time to meet his youngest son during Harry's visit to London earlier this month.

The Nigeria trip seemed to be a success for the Sussexes, at least for the people Harry and Meghan came to visit. Nigerians welcomed them with open arms. 

"On camera they are good, but in person, holy moly!" said Malaika Gyang-gyang, a student at the Lightway Academy in Abuja, which the duke and duchess visited as soon as they arrived on Friday.

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Holly Williams is a CBS News senior foreign correspondent based in the network's CBS London bureau. Williams joined CBS News in July 2012, and has more than 25 years of experience covering major news events and international conflicts across Asia, Europe and the Middle East.

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How to watch PGA Championship: Live stream the 2024 golf tournament

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The 2024 PGA Tour is well underway, and it's finally time for the PGA Championship, which will bring some of the world's best golfers together to compete from May 16 to 19. We'll show you all of your live streaming options when it comes to how to watch the PGA Championship. 

Held on the Valhalla Golf Course in Louisville, Kentucky, the PGA Championship has become a staple of the PGA Tour. 2023 champion Brooks Koepka returns to defend his title. Scottie Scheffler, the winner of this year's Masters Tournament, is also scheduled to compete, along with Tiger Woods, Rory McIlroy, and many more.

Round 1 of the tournament teed off on Thursday, and the competition will continue with Round 2 on Friday. The tournament will run through the weekend, concluding on Sunday, May 19. The next stop on the PGA Tour is the Charles Schwab Challenge in Fort Worth, Texas, which is scheduled to begin next week.

Keep reading to learn all of your watch options for the PGA Championship, including notable tee times for each day of the tournament. The tournament is spread across three channels/streamers, and we'll show you what times to access them all for uninterrupted watching. Plus, we've found a recommendation for end-of-day recaps if you can't tune in live.

• See also: Where to watch the Italian Open | Where to watch the Giro d'Italia | How to watch the WNBA

How to watch the PGA Championship in the US

Thursday and Friday's broadcasts will be split between ESPN+ in the morning (7 a.m. to 12 p.m. ET on Thursday, 7 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET on Friday) and ESPN in the afternoon (starting at 12 p.m. ET on Thursday and 1 p.m. ET on Friday). On Saturday and Sunday, ESPN+ will live stream from 8 a.m. to 10 a.m. ET, followed by an ESPN broadcast from 10 a.m. to 1 p.m. ET. Starting at 1 p.m. on those days, CBS will get coverage. 

ESPN+ subscriptions start at $10.99 a month. For Paramount+ , you'll need to select the Paramount+ with Showtime tier, which costs $11.99 a month, to access CBS live streams. ESPN+ doesn't live stream the ESPN channel, so you'll need to try out a live TV streaming alternative to access this portion of the tournament without cable. 

Paramount Plus offers a huge library of on-demand content from Paramount, CBS, Nickelodeon, Comedy Central, BET, and MTV. The Premium Plan also includes Showtime and live CBS streaming. It costs $12 a month or $120 a year

ESPN Plus is a sports subscription service that includes live sports, exclusive video content, and written analysis from ESPN. You can pay monthly or go for an annual deal for $110, which saves you about $22 a year. There's also a triple bundle with Hulu and Disney Plus, which offers an even better discount.

Sling TV is one of the cheaper live TV streaming packages out there, with plans starting at $40 a month. Plus, you can currently get $20 off your first month. You'll need to opt for the Sling Orange plan to access ESPN.

For just the essentials without any extra fluff, Sling TV is the streaming service you're looking for. It's more customizable than other plans, with three options you can choose from, so you pay for only what you need. New members get their first month for $20 off.

If you can't catch any of the action until the evening, Golf Central will air nightly breakdowns and highlights of the day's events via Peacock . These live recaps will start at 8 p.m. ET each night. Peacock subscriptions start at $5.99 a month.

Peacock is a streaming service featuring NBCUniversal TV shows, movies, original series, live sports, and news programs. Prices start at just $5.99 a month on one-month deals, with further discounts available on annual plans.

How to watch the PGA Championship in the UK

Sky Sports is the British home to PGA Championship live streams. You can find other international golf live streams here, like this week's LET: German Masters. Prices and contract lengths vary. 

How to watch the PGA Championship from anywhere

If you'll be traveling away from home during the tournament, you can keep up with your subscriptions via VPN (virtual private network). VPNs can temporarily alter your device's virtual location so that you can access your usual websites and apps from anywhere. They're also solid ways to increase your online privacy. This recommendation will work best for people who are simply traveling away from home right now since the services we've outlined today require country-specific forms of payment. 

Our go-to recommendation is ExpressVPN , which is an easy-to-use option with a 30-day money-back guarantee. You can find more information in our ExpressVPN review and see highlights of the service below:

With its consistent performance, reliable security, and expansive global streaming features, ExpressVPN is the best VPN out there, excelling in every spec and offering many advanced features that makes it exceptional. Better yet, you can save up to 49% and get an extra three months for free today.

Note: The use of VPNs is illegal in certain countries, and using VPNs to access region-locked streaming content might constitute a breach of the terms of use for certain services. Insider does not endorse or condone the illegal use of VPNs.

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