By Mim Williams
Running at the Grand Opera House from 11-15 November, Sunny Afternoon is a multi-award-winning stage show that tells the turbulent and inspirational story of The Kinks, one of Britain’s most influential (and badly behaved) bands from the 1960s.
Featuring words and music written by The Kinks’ founding member, lead vocalist and primary songwriter Ray Davies, Sunny Afternoon offers a whirlwind, insider’s look at the band’s trajectory, from their humble beginnings in North London’s Muswell Hill, to their part in the ‘British invasion’ of America, and their eventual expulsion from the USA.
As the band aren’t from my era, I didn’t know what to expect from the show, but I was surprised by how many of these great songs I recognised and knew – fab renditions of Kinks hits on offer here include ‘Lola’, ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘Days’, ‘Waterloo Sunset’, and of course, ‘Sunny Afternoon’. These well-loved tunes really got the audience going, and plenty of foot tapping and singing could be heard in the Grand Opera House!
The Kinks are perhaps most famous for the fierce sibling rivalry that existed between Ray (played here by Danny Horn, as seen in The Kinks: Echoes of a World) and lead guitarist Dave Davies (played here by Oliver Hoarde, who appeared in One Crazy Thing and the Birmingham Rep’s production of The Lion The Witch and The Wardrobe). For me, watching the two brothers feud, beef, and battle it out was one of the highlights of the show.
With ‘Dave the Rave’ getting into fights with the band and causing a ruckus wherever he goes, his brother Ray is painted as a homesick romantic, who struggles with life on the road, miles away from his wife Rasa (played by Lisa Wright, as seen in Girls Don’t Play Guitars), a young lady from Bradford.
Sunny Afternoon makes use of great source material (an iconic British band famous for its chemistry, sibling rivalry, and financial woes accelerated by poor management choices) to provide a narrative journey that’s full of fun and energy, with all of the chandeliers, booze and birds that we’ve come to expect from stories of Britain’s Swinging Sixties – the costumes, stage design, music, and dancers really take you back to the era.
All in all, this was a great night full of fantastic music, and I was thrilled to get the inside scoop on the boys from Muswell Hill, The Kinks!
Visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/sunny-afternoon to see the full list of venues included in Sunny Afternoon’s touring run and book your tickets for upcoming dates!
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