Beautiful: The Carole King Story

In 2015, Carole King was seen shedding tears at a Washington awards ceremony, as the mighty Aretha Franklin belted out an astonishing version of her huge 1967 hit, Natural Woman. Yet if these two great female music-makers are still very much with us, their lives are already the stuff of legend; and this week the Playhouse hosts the Scottish premiere of the awardwinning Carole King tribute musical, Beautiful. Bronte Barbe pays the young Carole in a show with a dream playlist, from Tapestry to It’s Too Late, and back again. Playhouse, Edinburgh, 28 November until 2 December; His Majesty’s, Aberdeen, 23-27 January; and King’s Theatre, Glasgow, 13-17 February