Theatre Review: The Carole King Musical at Theatre Royal, Brighton
In Summary
Genre: Jukebox Musical
Running Dates: 29 March - 2 April 2022
Where to see it: Theatre Royale, Brighton (UK Tour)
Duration: 2 hours 30 minutes incl. interval
Keywords: musical, biopic, 1960s, singer-songwriter, true story
Content Warnings: Contains strobe lighting and haze effects.
The Review
You know those moments where something niggles at the back of your mind, and you can’t quite place it? Like, it’s right there! You can see it, taste it even, but it’s that extra inch out of reach? Well, that was me last night at ‘Beautiful – The Carole King Musical’. Of course, I knew the name and a handful of the songs, being a Songwriting Graduate it would have been shameful not to. But I couldn’t quite place why there was a weight of relevance weighing me down.
And that’s when it hit me. The moment the quirkily loveable Carole King (Molly-Grace Cutler) meets her Gerry Goffin (Tom Milner). The realisation hit me harder than a New Year’s Day hangover.
You see, back in my first year of uni we had a ‘songwriter of the week’ where we’d dive into the repertoire of prolific songwriters, and Goffin-King, of course, made an appearance. You know, what with the duo penning more than 50 Top 40 hits between 1960-1968 together, it would have been
rude not to. But hey, those classes were a frighteningly long time ago, so cut me some slack for forgetting those nitty-gritty details!
But I do recall this lesson being delivered very much given through a male lens. Looking more at Goffin’s lyrical genius rather than King’s proficient contributions. As a female songwriter myself, or a woman at all, it’s needless to say once that penny dropped the excitement to hear about this inspiring woman from a completely new angle was second to none!
The main narrative, bookended by her 1971 Carnegie Hall Concert, flashes back to a young, doe-eyed Carole auditioning for the ‘man with the golden ear’ Donnie Kirshner (Garry Robson). Here we are introduced to the marvellous Molly-Grace Cutler, who exceptionally plays the beloved King encompassing her wit, charm and humility in a way that mirrors the cherished singer-songwriter’ virtues perfectly. But, the story soon glosses over Carole’s incredible achievements and fixates more on her love life, falling victim to an archaic gender stereotype storyline. Although based on real events, her early successes are somewhat hailed but are soon overshadowed by her turbulent marriage to Goffin, which also omits significant details regarding the severity of his mental health struggles. Not that we want to sympathise with how poorly he treats our dear Carole.
Whilst we understand this is due to the setting of the musical, being a series of memories leading up to her Tapestry success and mimicking her 2012 memoir ‘Natural Woman’, there was still so much room to salute her accomplishments. Yet, Goffin remained the focus despite not really being in the second act. This woman was inducted into the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame, not once, but twice. She made history by being the first female writer/artist to win four consecutive GRAMMY Awards for best record, song, album of the year and best pop vocal with her debut album Tapestry. And that’s just the peak of her success. Here was the opportunity to celebrate an extraordinary woman who overcame patriarchal oppression and gender expectations through her authenticity, earnestness, and faithfulness. But, alas, it was not to be.
That being said, Cutler is unparallel, capturing the complexities of this ‘Natural Woman’ effortlessly. She is vulnerable, honest, sweet, funny. Her bittersweet transformation from wide-eyed dreamer to broken soul had tears threatening. Her humbled metamorphosis to fierce independence exalting. It’s easy to get swept into the wonder that is musical theatre, especially when there is an ostentatious 30ft ‘Beautiful’ neon sign permanently clung to stage right, yet director Nikolai Foster’s vision made us feel as if we had stumbled into the intimate inner-workings of King’s private and professional life.
Likewise, brash Cynthia Weil (Seren Sandham-Davies) initially offers further comic relief but soon resonates with 60s feminism, becoming the epitome of female empowerment. She openly defies social and gender expectations, firstly by refusing to leave Kirshner's office until she gets her audition, to her partnership with fellow songwriter, and humorous hypochondriac, Barry Mann. Her primary rebellion is choosing her career over romance, a definite no-no in 60s culture. But this isn’t done in a boorish way, where a woman becomes so consumed by her work she becomes undesirable or incapable of love. Instead, Sandham-Davies perfectly oscillates the tender boundaries between the two lives, offering a sincere, wholesome portrayal that most women can still relate to.
So, despite the romantic narratives taking the forefront, Beautiful encompasses the complexities of femininity perfectly. Especially in a time when gender inequality was strife. Both female leads are strong, independently fierce women, whom audiences today can continue to resonate with. Now that all sounds very heavy and un-musical like, right? Wrong! The production still embodies an energic, childlike joy exclusive to musical theatre. Pun upon pun will have you giggling. The unbelievable soundtrack will have you biting your tongue in a futile attempt not to burst into song.
The overall heartwarming story will leave you glowing. And if the sensational storyline doesn’t entice you, the multitalented cast sure will. Comprised of multi-instrumentalists, each member plays a pivotal role, not only in the narrative but jumps from instrument to instrument to help create a rich sound that envelopes the audience in a warm, nostalgic haze.
So, if you’re looking for a good time full of 60s nostalgia look no further!
The Round Up
See if: You love Carole King, 60s music, true stories, or learning the stories behind hit singles.
The UK Beautiful tour is in town at Theatre Royal until 2nd April so get in quickly to see it. Click here to get tickets.
Disclaimer: Tickets were given in return for a review.
Review by Corey Plant