Casting announced for UK tour of Beautiful

Casting has been announced for the UK tour of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical.

The show, which originally opened on Broadway in 2014 and then opened in the West End in 2015, will embark on a UK tour from 9 September this year. It opens in Bradford, before touring to venues including Plymouth, Southampton, Norwich, Cardiff and Birmingham.

Taking the role of Carole King will be Bronté Barbé, who was a finalist in Andrew Lloyd Webber's BBC1 series Over the Rainbow in 2010. Barbé's roles have since included Shrek the Musical and The Wild Party at The Other Palace.

Joining Barbé will be Kane Oliver Parry as King’s husband and song-writing partner Gerry Goffin, Amy Ellen Richardson as song-writer Cynthia Weil, Matthew Gonsalves as Barry Mann, Carol Royle as King’s mother Genie Klein and Adam Howden as music publisher and producer Donnie Kirshner.

Merryl Ansah, Lauren Byrne, Matt Campbell, Khalid Daley, Jessica Joslin, Esme Laudat, Emma Lucia, Grant McConvey, Jacob McIntosh, Paige Miller, Matt Mills, Simeon Montague, Ben Morris, David O’Mahony and Saran Webb make up the rest of the cast. At certain performances Leigh Lothian will play Carole King.

Beautiful – The Carole King Musical tells the story of King's rise to songwriting success, with the help of her husband Goffin and friends Weil and Mann. The show features songs including "(You Make Me Feel Like) A Natural Woman", "Take Good Care of My Baby" and "You've Got a Friend".

The show finishes in the West End on 5 August.

Beautiful The Carole King Musical opens at the Bradford Alhambra on 9 September before touring throughout the UK to June 2018.