THE FIRST production of Sunny Afternoon, which is the story of 60s rock band ‘The Kinks’ opened at the Hampstead Theatre London in May 2014 where it was scheduled for a short four week run.
It was so successful that it got a West End transfer to the Harold Pinter theatre where it ran for two years plus. A UK tour followed in 2016, but another planned for 2020 was cancelled due to Covid.
This 2025/6 revival tour which arrived at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham last night marked its’ first outing in quite a few years and was a first-time watch for me. It is a big show both in and ambition with a book by Joe Penhall based on Ray Davies’s biography which rises above the normal juke box musical flimsy storylines.
It’s a gutsy tale of working class Muswell Hill lads caught up in the excesses of the 60s. and set against a background of social and political change. Whilst The Kinks were not as famous as ‘The Beatles ‘or the ‘Rolling Stones’, they were a formidable force for change. The music and lyrics of founder Ray Davies were in a class and style of their own with a rawness that caused the hairs on the back of the neck to quiver. His discordant and distorted riff which opens ‘You’ve Really Got me’ is a timeless classic and the father of much air guitar drunken revelry.
Picture by Manuel Harlan. s
The story follows the love-hate relationship and sibling rivalry between the two Davies brothers Ray and Dave, played brilliantly by Danny Horn and Oliver Hoare. They head up a busy and competent multi-roleplaying company, many of whom play instruments as well as dancing, singing and acting.
Whilst creating some iconic tunes, the bad boys engage in frequent fisticuffs, hotel havoc, wild partying, management exploitation, more ups and downs than a game of snakes and ladders – including a doomed American tour which leads to them being thrown out of the country.
The music is all played by the company on stage with no band in the pit. This gives it a unique 60s sound and feel – once is settles down that is. In truth the show got off to a shaky start night with its sound balancing problems, lasting for quite some time until it was resolved. It obviously unnerved the cast and the opening was lack lustre. After that it stepped up the gears with a pretty-flawless second half, culminating in a glorious walkdown featuring everybody’s favourite number ‘Lola’.
Picture by Manuel Harlan. s
Amongst some memorable moments there is a beautiful acapella rendition of ‘(Thank You For the) Days and a stunning routine for the title song ‘Sunny Afternoon’ set against England winning the world cup in 1966. The stage was awash with Union Flags used triumphantly not as racist messages tied to flagpoles.
A special shout out to Zakarie Stokes as Kink drummer Mick Avory for a mean drum solo where he ditches the sticks and goes commando with his bare hands.
Picture by Manuel Harlan. s
This ‘Sunny Afternoon’ revival is a sprawling, sometimes clumsy production lasting nearly three hours but with a heart of solid gold at its’ core. When it rocks it’s a glorious treat, especially for those of us old enough to be reliving our misspent youth. The Oasis Gallagher brothers are pussycats compared to our kinky Ray and Dave!
Sunny Afternoon runs until Saturday, October 25. Make sure you catch this show or you’ll be regretting it ‘All Day and All of the Night’. Click here for times, tickets and more information.
