Sunny Afternoon tells the story of the 1960’s pop group The Kinks and their rise to fame and quest to tackle America.
The Kinks are one of those bands that you remember and know a few of their songs but only when you watch Sunny Afternoon do you realise just how many hits they had! You Really Got Me, Dedicated Follower of Fashion, Waterloo Road and of course Lola were just some of the most memorable in the show.
The Harold Pinter Theatre has been transformed for Sunny Afternoon, with cabaret style tables up each side of the auditorium and along the back row giving an intimate and relaxed club feel to it. The staging was simple with a catwalk style walkway coming out into the audience to allow the band to get close to the audience. The choreography was well done and they routines looked slick and well thought out.
The two lead performers John Dagleish (Ray Davies), George Maguire (Dave Davies) give great performances, supported by Adam Sopp (Mick Avory) and Ned Derrington (Peter Quaife) as they other members of the band. For the girls, Lillie Flynn gives a wonderful performance as Rasa.
The story becomes a little cheesy at the end of the show and I found myself rolling my eyes a little but as far as jukebox musicals goes Sunny Afternoon is definitely up there with one of the best. A good story and great songs, put together into a proper musical.
Reviewed by West End Wilma
