Following weeks of rumours and speculation, the casting has been announced for the London production of Beautiful – The Carole King Musical… 
Katie Brayben will play Carole King in the West End
Katie Brayben will star in the title role in the show, which opens at the Aldwych Theatre in February 2015. Alan Morrissey will play Gerry Goffin, Carole King’s husband and songwriting partner. Lorna Want will take the role of Cynthia Weil and Glynis Barber will play Genie Klein, King’s mother. Gary Trainor will play the music publisher Don Kirshner.
Actress and singer/songwriter Katie Brayben is currently starring at the Wyndham’s Theatre as Princess Diana in King Charles III. The actress has a number of prolific theatre credits, including American Psycho in the West End and at the Almeida Theatre, as well as touring in international productions of Mamma Mia!.
A familiar face in television
Barber is also a well-known face on British television having starred in Eastenders, Emmerdale, The Royal and Family Affairs. Though the British star best known for playing Harriet Makepeace in the ITV crime drama Dempsey and Makepeace.
British actor Alan Morrissey is also no stranger to the stage. He was last seen at the London Palladium in I Can’t Sing! Morrissey has also worked with the Royal Shakespeare Company, starring in the Twelfth Night and in As You Like It at the Shakespeare’s Globe. Like Barber, Morrissey’s acting career includes a string of TV credits, including playing Nick Van Barr in Holby City and appearing in Doctors, Endeavour and The League of Gentlemen: Apocalypse.
An untold story of an inspiring life
Beautiful – The Carole King Musical is based on the life and career of singer/songwriter Carole King. It traces the untold story of one of the most successful female solo artists in musical history and features a number of King’s hit songs, including Will You Love Me Tomorrow, You’ve Got a Friend and So Far Away.
Beautiful opened in Broadway in January this year where it won two Tony Awards. Still running on Broadway, the Carole King Musical has subsequently become one of Manhattan’s top selling shows.
London previews begin on 10 February 2015 and the show is currently booking here until 13 June 2015.
