The Drifters Girl - Newcastle TR / Garrick / U.K. Tour

I saw this tonight from the second row and thought the performances were excellent all around. A great view, even with the high stage. The audience was mostly well behaved as well (there was a bit of a commotion from the rear stalls in the first half, but it soon calmed down). Almost all the audience wore a mask too, so good to see them making an effort.

You certainly can't fault the music or the singing. I didn't know too much about the real story behind the Drifters, so I found that aspect fascinating, but also feel I now need to find a decent book about them to fill in all the gaps. I also had no idea how important the UK was to their longevity. This is rather short (2 hours 15 minutes with a long interval), but when the same small cast are on stage almost all the way through, that's to be expected.

I do think Tosh is a real star, but I've thought that for a long time. Such vocal talent. In fact, I got a lot of eye contact from all the male cast tonight, which is never a problem when they're all so easy on the eye. Beverly Knight was as sensational as you would expect.

If there is one flaw, it is just so strange to see so many gaps in the back catalogue (where I presume performance rights weren't granted). Most notably the songs by King, Goffin, Mann and Weil (basically anything featured in Beautiful). There might well be more to the story than that, with all the complexities in the tales of (the official and unofficial versions of) the Drifters, but I'll have to read more about it.

I would definitely go and see this again on the strength of all the performances alone.

Hi everyone, I'm a serial lurker but I felt the need the make an account to share my experience at The Drifters girl tonight for your amusement (Or dismay..).

I've wanted to see this for a little while and managed to get a day ticket today in the front row, the aisle seat on the left. I knew the stage is very high and view would be somewhat limited, but I also like being really close to the performers so I was really happy.

The two seats to my right were still empty when the show started, so I assumed they had been unsold day tickets and was happy to have the free space in covid times...but sadly that changed.

About 15 minutes into the show two middle aged women came in to claim the seats, clearly VERY drunk. It was during a quiet dialogue moment of the show and we were in the front row where there is literally no room to walk through, so I said 'I'll come out and let you in' very quietly as to not disturb the show. Unfortunately one of the women ignored me and went ahead to the seat, lost her footing and fell on top of me whilst letting out a loud grunt. She was literally lying flat in a plank position on my lap while her friend was saying loudly 'Sorry she's drunk!'.

Front row is very close to the stage in The Garrick and although I'm not sure if the rest of the audience heard, Beverley who was literally sitting about two metres away from us at the time very obviously did and was clearly annoyed, whilst staying in character and being a consummate professional. I was so angry as I was enjoying the show so much, but it really threw me out of the zone and I missed quite a few lines of important dialogue whilst they 'sorted' themselves.

As if that wasn't bad enough, they both came back after the interval with more booze and a program each, to which they decided to loudly read out to each other during the second act, meaning I and everyone in the first few rows were struggling to hear the dialogue and the cast were looking down at points.

I've literally never seen such a level of disrespect at a theatre show in my life - Had I had paid more than £25 I would have been even more livid than I already was! The entire cast were brilliant and deserved the respect that the rest of the audience were giving, I actually felt like asking the two women 'Why are you here?'.

I also bought a program during the interval and got chatting to the staff member about it, who told me unfortunately this kind of thing is really common at this show. I honestly can't wrap my head around it - to be further back and behave badly is one thing, but to do it when you're in touching distance of the cast who can clearly hear and see you? It's literally mind boggling!

To end on a positive though, the entire cast were absolutely brilliant and I definitely recommend the show!

Welcome. Glad to hear your review from the front row as I’ve booked to sit there in Feb as I like to be close to the action too. Sorry to hear about the drunk people. I’d have complained in the interval and asked to be moved to somewhere less disturbing.

That is literally what I had to do when seeing the show a couple of months ago. We had two drunk women next to us who constantly talked and badly sang along. We went and spoke to an usher in the interval who moved us to different (and luckily better) seats. They did speak to the ladies before the show started up again but apparently (based on accounts from friends that also sat in the vicinity) it only got worse in the second act and they even stood up and danced at times. Luckily we missed all that as they were behind us.

This is the kind of snobbish Tory elitist attitude that keeps plenty of people out of the theatre. 
 

I think you'll definitely enjoy being in the front row! It's definitely difficult to see some of the things going on at the back of the stage, but you also have the benefit of being very close to the cast - Beverley was literally standing so close to me at points that I felt slightly intimidated (In a good way).

It may immediately bounce back, but would it be worthwhile trying to email Nica Burns direct, perhaps cutting and pasting the key points from your posts.

nica.burns@nimaxtheatres.com

She always seems like a no-nosense type of woman.

Using words like "plebs" and "chavs" is hardly Tory elitism; only a right-on liberal leftie would suggest such a thing. ;-)

I saw this last night after seeing the performance on the night of musicals (or a similar name!) a few weeks ago. I had no idea that I knew the Drifters' music but obviously we all do! I agree with greeny11 that the cast is excellent and really elevates the show. I can't think of another show I've seen with voices universally of such calibre. It was a full house which I feel is a bit of an achievement for a Tuesday night these days? But I also think it's half term in some parts of the country, not that there were many children there. The audience did get increasingly leathered as the show went on, but it was more like a 'really happy to be there, having a great time' drunkenness than the standing up, singing or fighting type. At points I thought it might get rowdy though and that did put me off the idea of a Saturday night there.

Anyway, I had a great time and the show far exceeded my expectations. I felt really lucky to be able to pop out after work to see a show that people around me had travelled from all over the country for. One couple was there for their ruby wedding anniversary and had come from Carlisle and another woman was there for her 60th birthday (I could tell because of the not subtle sash saying '60 and fabulous' and the tiara...), and it was my Tuesday night.

All in all a great night with fantastic performances that I felt very lucky to see. I will definitely be going back!

Oh and I sat in the stalls U7 which I paid £23 for. There was a pillar in the vicinity but the restriction was so marginal I felt the seat was great value and I would definitely sit there again. The overhang from the above tiers is a bit imposing but in no way restricts the view of the performances.

Beverley Knight will play her final performance on 2nd July.

Booking has just been extended to 12th February 2023.

Ah, that’s a shame Beverley is leaving so soon as she’s so bloomin’ good in this, but guess she may have other commitments given the amount of time this had to be pushed back for thanks to the pandemic.