The principal casting for the 2025/2026 UK tour of the multi Olivier Award-winning hit musical Sunny Afternoon, opening at the Manchester Palace Theatre on 11 October, has been revealed.
Stepping into the legendary shoes of The Kinks will be Danny Horn as Ray Davies, Oliver Hoare as Dave Davies, Harry Curley as Peter Quaife and Zakarie Stokes as Mick Avory. The four actors will form the iconic band at the heart of Sunny Afternoon.
Horn returns to play Ray Davies having starred in the role for more than a year in the West End. He most recently reprised the role in the North American premiere at the Chicago Shakespeare Theatre. Likewise, Oliver Hoare returns to play Dave Davies having starred in the part in the West End, he too reprised his role for the North American premiere in Chicago.
Both Harry Curley, who can currently be seen in Sing Street at the Lyric Hammersmith and Zakarie Stokes come to Sunny Afternoon for the first time, Stokes making his professional debut in the production.
Legendary Kinks’ frontman, Ray Davies says, “I’m pleased that Danny and Oliver are rejoining Sunny Afternoon after their brilliant run in Chicago and look forward to Harry and Zakarie joining the band. Well done to everyone involved in making this wonderful Sunny Afternoon musical.”
Set against the backdrop of Britain on the cusp of the rebellious ’60s, Sunny Afternoon is an exhilarating and moving celebration of the music, life, and the band that changed it all. Capturing the raw energy, passion and timeless sound of one of Britain’s most iconic bands, the production charts the euphoric highs and agonising lows telling their story through an incredible back catalogue of chart-toppers, including You Really Got Me, Lola and All Day and All of the Night.
Sunny Afternoon has music and lyrics by Ray Davies with a book by Joe Penhall and original story by Ray Davies. It is directed by Edward Hall and designed by Miriam Buether with choreography by Adam Cooper. Lighting design is by Rick Fisher with sound design by Matt McKenzie and musical supervision by Elliott Ware. Musical and vocal adaptations are by Ray Davies and Elliott Ware, based on original Kinks’ recordings.
Following a sell-out run at Hampstead Theatre, Sunny Afternoon opened to critical acclaim at the Harold Pinter Theatre in London’s West End where it ran for two years ahead of its sensational sell-out tour of the UK and Ireland throughout 2016/17, securing four Olivier Awards, including Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement in Music for Ray Davies in the process.
SUNNY AFTERNOON 2025/26 UK TOUR
2025 | 11-18 October Manchester Palace Theatre | 21-25 October Birmingham Alexandra Theatre | 28 October-1 November Glasgow King’s Theatre | 4-8 November Sunderland Empire | 11-15 November Grand Opera House, York | 18-22 November New Victoria Theatre, Woking | 25-29 November Wimbledon New Theatre | 2-6 December Swansea Building Society Arena | 17 December-3 January 2026 Brighton Theatre Royal
2026 | 15-31 January 2026 Alexandra Palace, London | 3-7 February Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury | 10-14 February New Theatre, Oxford | 17-21 February Nottingham Theatre Royal | 24-28 February Leeds Grand Theatre | 3-7 March Malvern Theatre | 17-21 March Princess Theatre, Torquay | 24-28 March Milton Keynes Theatre | 31 March-4 April Richmond Theatre | 7-11 April New Victoria Theatre, Stoke On Trent | 14-18 April Stockton Globe | 21-25 April Curve, Leicester | 28 April-2 May Blackpool Grand | 5-9 May Edinburgh Playhouse | 12-16 May Eden Court, Inverness | 19-23 May Liverpool Empire | 26-30 May Wales Millennium Centre, Cardiff
Tickets and tour details here.
