The 2015 Oliver Award-Winning musical returns on a UK Tour!
Sunny Afternoon is the story of friendship, fame and rock music. Set to classic songs, the show explores the band The Kinks who changed the image of rock music forever. With music by Ray Davies and a book by Joe Penhall, the production promises a celebration of rock ‘n’ roll, as well as rebellions. I was excited to be seeing Sunny Afternoon as I enjoy quite a few of The Kinks songs. Furthermore, I was looking forward to revisiting Theatre Royal Nottingham: a venue which feels very grand and has a brilliant atmosphere. Therefore, I was looking forward to watching Sunny Afternoon!
The score, being compiled by The Kinks music works incredibly well for the production, giving it the retro feel needed for the story. To further add to this, the costumes look perfect for the time period, with lots of bright colours making the whole stage look very colourful. This is also supported by incredibly lighting. The set itself has lots of speakers on the walls, giving a retro feel to the whole stage.
The ensemble and supporting characters within Sunny Afternoon are well utilised throughout. They have multiple roles from dancing, acting and singing in different songs. Each time they swapped costumes and characters, they were able to really become that character. They also look to be having such a fun time on stage, which illuminated into the audience wonderfully. 
The Kinks are portrayed through the story by four brilliant actors. Zakarie Stokes plays Mick Avory and Harry Curley plays Peter Quaife. Both Stokes and Curley embody their characters really well, with great vocal performances from both. Oliver Hoare plays Dave Davies, the rebellious guitarist of the group. His dynamic with the group, especially Horn as his brother, was very believable and authentic. In addition, his costumes were the most bold and dashing in the cast: helping give the rebellious edge to his character. His vocals were great and I really enjoyed the chandelier moment. Danny Horn plays Ray Davies, the lead of The Kinks and their singer and songwriter. The story focuses mostly on Ray, delving into his history and how he came to be. It’s great to hear about his story, especially with the acknowledgment that the real Ray Davies was in the creative team. Horn’s vocal performance was very accurate and worked incredibly well with the score. Similarly his acting was authentic and, at times, emotional.
Sunny Afternoon continues touring the UK till May 2026! Catch it in a location near you!
Max
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