The true story of Faye Treadwell, the woman behind The Drifters, is coming to the New Victoria Theatre in Woking in The Drifters Girl from tonight (Tuesday) until November 25.

Carly Mercedes Dyer agreed to play Faye, a role previously taken by Beverley Knight, after watching a production of the show.

She said: “I saw it in London because I knew most of the cast. I thought it was such a slick show. I knew the vocals would be amazing, because you know what your friends can do, but they absolutely blew me away. They showed me so much more than I already knew that they could do. I also thought that Faye Treadwell would be a great part to play because her story is so interesting.”

Describing Faye and her role in the story, Carly added: “She’s tenacious, groundbreaking, hugely intelligent and resilient. She 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. That’s crazy when you consider all the things she did. I can relate to her 100 per cent.”

For tickets, from £13, visit https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/the-drifters-girl/new-victoria-theatre/