The audience at West End musical Beautiful inspired by singer-songwriter Carole King had a surprise when the star herself took to the stage.
She joined the cast at the Aldwych Theatre last night for a rendition of You’ve Got A Friend from her landmark 1971 album Tapestry — leaving actress Cassidy Janson, who plays King in the production, particularly stunned.
The musician — whose hits include Will You Love Me Tomorrow and I Feel The Earth Move — tweeted a picture of herself with the entire cast on the stage, saying: “Loved the show tonight.”
The production has been a commercial and critical hit since it premiered in 2013 — winning an Olivier Award for best actress in a musical for Katie Brayben, who first played King in the West End show — and is to be made into a film.
King composed some of pop music’s greatest songs — first as part of a songwriting duo with her then husband Gerry Goffin which saw many performed by acts including The Monkees, Aretha Franklin and The Drifters.
She eventually launched a solo career with Tapestry, which won four Grammys and has sold millions of copies.
Her back catalogue includes much-covered million sellers — including The Loco-Motion which she and Goffin wrote for their babysitter Little Eva, who took it to No 1 in 1962.