Jukebox musicals, the kind of shows that take a musician’s catalogue and hangs true or fictional stories around them, have had a bad rep in recent years. Often featuring songs that get shoehorned in without much thought, or lacklustre discographies from artists of questionable quality, it can be easy to see why. However, there are some artists that genuinely deserve the spotlight in shows that are put together with charm and craft, and Beautiful is just that. Carole King’s songwriting and performance has had decades of influence on artists whose stardom and mainstream fame may well have eclipsed her own, but her skill in writing melody, story and passion has rarely been matched. The key to success with these kind of shows is often a plot which is absorbing in its own right, with songs helping to shine new perspectives. And King’s life, story and music has enough twists, turns and dazzling talent to make this production a stand-out success in an otherwise often unconvincing genre. For theatre lovers this is a masterclass in storytelling through music, for music lovers this is convincingly close enough to the real thing.

Tue 7 Nov – Sat 11 Nov, Birmingham Hippodrome, Hurst St, Southside, Birmingham B5 4TB. From £18 www.birminghamhippodrome.com