Beautiful: The Carole King Musical announces cast for new production

Pitlochry Festival Theatre has announced casting for its forthcoming production of Beautiful: The Carole King Musical.

The new staging will be directed by Sam Hardie (To the Bone), who commented: “I am absolutely thrilled and so excited to be working with an incredible company of creatives to tell the mighty Carole King’s story and sing her songs at the beautiful Pitlochry Festival Theatre. There is so much to say about Carole King and what she did for music, women and what she gave the world – you will see it shine so bright in this brilliant story.

“Audiences can expect a celebration of hits from Carole King and artists like The Shirelles and The Drifters. You wouldn’t believe everyone she and her friends have written for. Carole has a way in her music of saying ‘I’m here’ and simultaneously making you want to dance with joy, burst into tears or get ready for action. That’s the journey I hope we can take the audience on – full of feeling, reminding us it will be okay and when it’s not, we can hold onto love.”

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical features a book by Douglas McGrath and a score by King, Gerry Goffin, Barry Mann, and Cynthia Weil, including such hits as “You’ve Got a Friend”, “ One Fine Day”, “ So Far Away”, and  “(You Make Me Feel Like A) Natural Woman”.

The cast will be led by Olivier Award nominee Kirsty Findlay (Our Ladies of Perpetual Succour) in the titular role, alongside Lola Aluko (The Demon Headmaster) as Cynthia, Chris Coxon (The Wizard of Oz) as Neil Sedaka, Theo Diedrick (Sleeping Beauty) as Barry, Connor Going (Sunshine on Leith) as Gerry Goffin, Charlotte Grayson (The Lord of the Rings) as Shirelle, Nina Kristofferson (Medea) as Janelle, Signe Larsson (The Wizard of Oz) as Lucille, Myles Miller (Alice In Wonderland) as Drifter, Wendy Paver (Summer Holiday) as Genie, Elizabeth Rowe (Made in Dagenham) as Marilyn, Robin Simpson (The Railway Children) as Donnie Kirshner, Luke Thornton (The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole the Musical) as Nick, and Luke Wilson (Much Ado About Nothing) as Lou Adler.

The production is designed by Jessica Worrall, with music direction by Richard Reeday, lighting by Jeanine Byrne, movement direction and choreography by Sundeep Saini and sound design by Hugh Barbour and Toby McFarlane.

Beautiful: The Carole King Musical runs at Pitlochry Festival Theatre from 7 June until 28 September 2024.

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