Review: BEAUTIFUL - THE CAROLE KING MUSICAL, Bristol Hippodrome

The songwriting partnership of Carole King and Gerry Goffin was such a formidable force in the Sixties that even Lennon and McCartney often spoke about wanting to emulate them. It's with this partnership then, that Beautiful - The Carol King Musical spends most of it's time.

First though, in her home in Brooklyn, New York, a 16-year-old Carole is watching American Bandstand on the TV. It's here she persuades her Mum that the songs she's been writing are every bit as good as those on primetime TV.

Her chance meeting with Goffin blossoms into a partnership - both personal and professional. It's complicated and difficult at times but as the hits come thick and fast, it's impossible not to be impressed by the quantity of quality songs they produced.

At a time where music publishing houses were pumping out throwaway teeny-bopper songs, the Goffin/King songs endured far beyond the decade with hits like: "Up On the Roof", "One Fine Day", "Will You Love Me Tomorrow" and "Take Good Care Of My Baby".

The jukebox musical can be tricky fare, but Beautiful is the perfect vehicle to showcase the genius of King's songwriting. The fact she wrote such personal, introspective songs means using them to tell her own story feels genuine, even if at times you want more space to get to know Carole herself.

The transition from songwriter to solo performer happens too quickly to explore any reticence on King's part. Indeed, the story jumps straight to her biggest solo album of all time, "Tapestry" conveniently missing out the less successful "Writer" that preceded it. You can't fit everything in of course, but it feels like a missed opportunity.

Despite this, Bronté Barbé is a powerhouse King, treading a neat line with one of music's most distinctive voices. She captures the clipped, straightforward King delivery without straying into parody. Kane Oliver Parry as Goffin has his strongest moment at one of Goffin's lowest - as he suffers with mental health issues.

Having fellow songwriting duo Barry Mann and Cynthia Weil in the story as Goffin and King's friends, collaborators and sometimes competitors gives the show balance and stops the world revolving solely around King herself. It also gives Matthew Gonsalves the chance to play with hypochondriac Mann - a gift of a part.

Neatly directed by Marc Bruni, Beautiful is easily one of the slickest in the jukebox cannon. It may lack the character depth to be a true account of King's life but when the songs are this good, the quibbles fade as King's star shines.

Beautiful: The Carol King Musical at Bristol Hippodrome until 7 April

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