UK TOUR
I’m starting to grow a little tired of the music biography. Particularly in film, the success of Bohemian Rhapsody has sparked a wave of imitators, from Rocketman and A Complete Unknown to Deliver Me from Nowhere, I Wanna Dance with Somebody and, most recently, Michael.
And they all follow the same checklist: troubled childhoods, booze and drug abuse, a rise to the top where it’s discovered the top can never be high enough, and, inevitably, a scene in which a cigar-chomping exec hears half a chorus and declares, “Kid, you’re gonna be a star!”
That said, they work better on stage. There’s something slightly more sophisticated about a musical biography compared to the average jukebox musical. The real-life stories woven in between the hits just seem to lend them a bit more legitimacy, helping to disguise the fact that they too are essentially greatest-hits cash grabs.
And when you think about it, what makes these rock-and-roll clichés interesting is that, more often than not, they’re rooted in truth. Popular musicians are often tortured, arrogant and pretentious figures, and because of that, they tend to fall into the same old fates. The Kinks were no different.
At least frontman Ray Davies had an origin story compelling enough to justify the mythology. On his thirteenth birthday, his sister bought him a guitar. Later that same day, she died unexpectedly. Davies was left not only with grief, but with the sense that his sister, or perhaps the universe, had handed him some kind of divine sign. He became convinced he had been given a destiny, a purpose to achieve musical success. But to what end?
It’s this aspect of the band’s story that sets Sunny Afternoon apart, alongside the production’s near-perfect use of the band’s music, with stunning vocals from its eclectic cast.
Danny Horn is superb as Ray Davies, playing the musician as a man genuinely bewildered by his own talent. There’s a haunting quality behind his eyes that persists even in the character’s more animated moments, a sense that, through every high and low, he still carries the numbness of grief for his sister.
Vocally, Horn is excellent. His tone never slips into impersonation, but remains close enough to Davies for the audience to occasionally be fooled into thinking they are watching the real thing.
Elsewhere, Oliver Hoare seems to be having enormous fun as Dave Davies, fully embracing the swaggering chaos of ‘Dave the Rave’. His chemistry with Horn is convincing, grounding the brothers’ conflict in something authentic rather than overly theatrical. He too is vocally strong, and brings a charismatic musicianship to Dave’s erratic guitar-playing.
Kudos should also go to Harry Curley for a lovely, touching performance as Pete, and to Zakarie Stokes as Mick, particularly for his wonderfully indulgent drum solo that completely captivates the audience. Only a later a cappella rendition of ‘Days’ matched the intensity of the crowd’s focus. For a moment, it was as if the whole auditorium had stopped breathing.
Musically, Sunny Afternoon is sensational. The production embraces the rawness that defined The Kinks’ sound, leaning into distortion and rough edges rather than polishing them away. Much of the cast also play instruments, most delightfully demonstrated when managers Grenville and Robert (played by Tam Williams and Joseph Richardson) gleefully whip out trombones and prance around the stage with infectious joy.
The book by Joe Penhall is strongest when focused on the bantering back and forth between characters, which keeps the story moving with admirable pace. It’s weaker when it assumes too much prior knowledge of the band. The central rivalry between Ray and Dave Davies feels slightly underdeveloped, relying a little too heavily on the audience’s pre-existing understanding of the brothers’ resentment toward one another.
Sunny Afternoon may follow what is now a familiar formula, but it takes you on an undeniably fun ride as it ticks the boxes. The characters are endearing, the music outstanding and the production elevates a well-worn rock-and-roll story by exploring the surprisingly existential motivations of its frontman, a man driven by a hunger that fame and success could never satisfy, nor restore what he had lost.
Sunny Afternoon is performing at Wales Millennium Centre till 30 May 2026 and will continue to tour the UK. For more information, visit: https://uk.thekinksmusical.com/