SUNNY AFTERNOON | UK TOUR @ EDINBURGH PLAYHOUSE
★★★★
“A brilliant, boisterous celebration of a band at the vanguard of Sixties’ pop rock…”
Brilliantly staged, Sunny Afternoon charts the early years of Sixties’ chart-toppers The Kinks and proves a rip-roaring, feel-good trip down memory lane to a time when fashions were groovy and bands were loud and boisterous.
With a snappy, affectionate book by Joe Penhall and a score comprised of Ray Davies’ back catalogue of classics, the story of The Kinks straddles a period of change in the British music scene, a time when classes and cultures clashed and the post-war dancehall scene finally succumbed to the raw energy of pop and rock, as a new generation of working-class heroes emerged, eager to make their mark.
From their early days as The Ravens to cracking the United States as part of the British Invasion as The Kinks, Sunny Afternoon is at its heart the tale of two brothers, Ray and Dave Davies, and their friends and bandmates, drummer Mick Avory and bassist Pete Quaife. Teenagers with a dream, it’s a familiar tale and, as in all great jukebox biographies, some things never change – management rip-offs, internal conflicts driven by jealousy, home-sickness, demands of family, and various addictions, they’re all there.
That said, Penhall does brush over the darker undercurrents of the rock and roll lifestyle with a light touch and a degree of humour that ensures things never become too heavy while still addressing the salient points.
With designer Miriam Buether’s glorious studio come library of speakers set as a backdrop, director Edward Hall’s production quickly hits its stride, maintaining its momentum through even the more emotional and, occasionally, surreal moments.
As Ray Davies, Danny Horn brings the ethereal air of a dreamer to the role as he captures the frontman’s journey from insecure teenager to tortured rock poet. With strong vocals and a quietly commanding stage presence, he reveals both the public facade and private fragility of the man. Horn is well matched by Oliver Hoare who puts in a shift and a half. He is outstanding as the younger of the Davies brothers, channeling the archetypal, cross-dressing, angry young man of rock with a raw and infectious energy.
Both get good support from Zakarie Stokes as Avory, Harry Curley as Quaife, and the beautifully voiced Lisa Wright as Rasa, Ray Davies’ wife, as well as from a energised and highly skilled actor/musician ensemble, many of them multi-instrumentalists.
All deliver Davies’ kitchen-sink pop/rock with aplomb, musical director Michael Cullen coaxing some wonderful harmonies. The real power of Davies’ songs come from his ability to paint the reality of their lives in words and music and standouts include the elegant ballad This Strange Effect, a blistering rendition of All Day and All of the Night from Horn and Wright, who also cast their spell when they duet on the melancholic ‘rockstars lullaby’ that is, I Go To Sleep.
A perfectly pitched a cappella delivery of Days is another highlight during which you could hear a pin drop, however, it’s the clever construction of Waterloo Sunset that sends palpable shivers of expectation down the spine and predictably steals the show. All are enhanced by Matt Mckenzie’s spine-tinglingly nuanced sound design.
In the end though, it’s Lola, which opens the walk-down megamix, that has everyone clapping and on their feet from the start, and it’s not long before Horn and co. have them swaying along, hands in the air and, at one point, singing the chorus for them. It’s full on concert mode and a brilliant end to feel good celebration of a group at the vanguard of British pop.
If you’re a dedicated follower of fashion, get your ticket now.
Full tour details and tickets HERE
