REVIEW: You’ve got a friend – Lighthouse Poole

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Simply delightful is the best way to describe this 2 hour music feast celebrating the continuing music of the song writing geniuses Carole King and James Taylor in a show that really did leave you wanting more.

“You’ve got a friend” is a new show which has just started touring the UK, produced by the same team who wrote the much loved “Simon and Garfunkel” story. This particular production takes us on a musical journey celebrating the enduring friendship of the talented duo which started back in the early 1970’s.

The show is crammed with hits known by many plus many songs written by Carole King and made into mega-hits by other artists including The Shirelles, “Will You Love Me Tomorrow”, Little Eva, “The Loco-Motion” and Herman’s Hermits, “I’m Into Something Good” to name just a few.

Closer to home, the show includes some of the songs written by Carole from her 1971 hit album “Tapestry” as well as other hits shared by both Carole and James such as ‘I Feel The Earth Move’, ‘How Sweet It Is (To Be Loved By You)’, ‘Fire & Rain’, ‘You Make Me Feel (Like A Natural Woman)’ and the beautifully soulful ‘You’ve Got A Friend’.

Emily Jollands plays Carole King and Bill Lennon plays James Taylor supported admirably by their three piece backing band; Scott Poley (Guitars / Vocals), Danny Grant (Bass / Vocals) and Jim ‘E’ Williams (Drums / Percussion) who incidentally was the spitting image of that other 1970’s icon, Roy Wood of Wizard fame.

This is one of those shows that leaves you with a feel good feeling, indeed as we were leaving I overheard a person saying to her companion that she could have easily sat there listening to a few more hours such was the enjoyment it offered. Having not been a particular Carole King or James Taylor fan (or so I thought), my eyes were opened after watching this show – what an impact this couple had, and still have, on the world of music. I now consider myself a Carole King fan – so much so that I have now downloaded ‘Tapestry’ from iTunes and it’s been playing regularly on my playlist for the last 24 hours.

The show has recently started its 65 date tour of the UK that runs from now through until the end of October, locally you can see the show at Weymouth Pavilion on Friday 29th April and then it returns to our area with a visit to Christchurch Regent Centre on 9th September.

The show was was reviewed at the Lighthouse Poole on 27 April 2016.

Our Verdict

85% Excellent
  • Music 95 %
  • Storyline 70 %
  • Watchability 90 %
  • Overall 85 %
  • User Ratings (0 Votes) 0 %
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