Sunny Afternoon Review: counterculture and rock'n'roll prove timeless as ever
- Jack Davey
- 6 hours ago
- 3 min read
17 February I 19:30 I Theatre Royal, Nottingham
⭐⭐⭐⭐ I PR - Invite
Rebellion. Anarchy. Liberation. The words we might associate with the aesthetic of 1960s Britain. Removed of tradition, this swinging decade ignited an entire social reform, empowering the youth to enforce legislative and civil rights changes. Rock'n'roll band The Kinks were a major voice of the counterculture movement, as Olivier-Award winning musical Sunny Afternoon follow's the group's aspirational highs and lows.
As a biographical jukebox musical penned by frontman Ray Davies, audiences are treated to The Kinks' catalogue of chart-toppers, including You Really Got Me and Waterloo Sunset. With the contextual background of the sixties, both the era and music are less familiar to me, being born in the early noughties. And while it primarily follows the height of the band's success, Sunny Afternoon delves into a high-stakes drama that denounces the exploitative nature of the music industry.
The first act wonderfully encapsulates the glamorized Mod lifestyle, from dismantling the authority of powerful men (Dead End Street) to sexual revolution (Till The End Of The Day), the surge in eroticism causing Dave (Oliver Hoare) to swing from a chandelier in reckless euphoria. Eat your heart out Sia! Clear audience favourite Dedicated Follower Of Fashion sees Miriam Buether's costume designs admired in their androgynous, vibrant prestige.
As a performer, Ray Davies is a contradictory figure, highly romanticized as a sex symbol of the sixties yet behaving onstage with a detached, solitary independence. Danny Horn is quite the leading man, able to capture Ray's down-to-earth charisma and easy likeability. Sometimes grounded and other times explosive, Horn's cynicism and working-class authenticity allows for a tangible performance that is altogether humane.
Ray's brother Dave Davies joins the band at seventeen, as Oliver Hoare's immaturity in the role captures the guitarist's volatile nature. When performing with The Kinks, he is exceedingly watchable, noting his intense rivalry with his brother and sensitivity as he comes to feel isolated behind the enraged persona. And in a male dominated musical, Lisa Wright's Rasa is a beacon of peace within the chaos, gifting us heavenly vocals and compassionate character work.
Sixties patterning is famously geometric, as Buether's design comprises of three walls of speakers, an irregular montage of rectangles that puts music at the heart of the story. In Act Two, The Kinks' journey to the USA sees giant, imposing American flags cover the walls as the band's passion is concealed. Tensions reach a high when drummer Mick Avory (Zakarie Stokes) delivers a thunderous solo, a well-timed moment of frustration and angst that has the audience transfixed. Never underestimate the drummer!
Sunny Afternoon's success largely comes from Joe Penhall's writing, which is more like a well-polished original musical, refusing to get carried away with jukebox stylings. Some songs last only twenty seconds, and rarely performed in their entireties, weaved surprisingly well into the narrative. At 2hrs 40m, Act Two's 1hr 15m run time can begin to feel too long as some motifs are repeated. Even so, a loud, rock-fuelled finale has every single audience member on their feet in an instant!
From commendably charming producers Grenville and Robert (Tam Williams & Joseph Richardson) to Pete's (Harry Curley) basslines that make your internal organs vibrate, Edward Hall's direction is a well-balanced product of admiration for rock'n'roll, clear to see why Sunny Afternoon was such a West End triumph. Streaming The Kinks' discography on the way home, I feel inspired by this musical revival, as the music enters your veins and charges your soul. This isn't one to miss!
UK Tour Information & Tickets: https://www.thekinksmusical.com/
