Book by Joe Penhall
Music and Lyrics by Ray Davies
Directed by Edward Hall
Review by Libby Hutton
‘Sunny Afternoon’, the musical retelling of the rise of the legendary rock band ‘The Kinks’, hits just where expected; an entertaining night out for all ages. This is both its downfall and its praise; an accessible yet perhaps tame retelling of The Kinks’ lives, one that missed an opportunity to highlight the more interesting shades of the artistically genius and infamously socialist band. Although themes of alcohol, depression, social isolation and the ugly commercialisation of a musical genius were present, writer Joe Penhall and director Edward Hall sited their target emotion towards a sunny day mood elevator, which certainly fulfils the expectation of a contemporary touring musical. I must consider the vision of the team in that Sunny Afternoon is “not a tribute piece, it’s a play” (Danny Horn), yet, studded with cliches such as the dream-eyed-lover, sexy-woman-dancer, feminism-what’s-that? prototype, the musical’s overall storytelling did not venture beyond expectations.
For what lacked in the narrative was made up for in the music. As the guitar amp daringly rose in volume in preparation for the iconic refrain of ‘You Really Got Me’, the audience was reminded of just how outrageous and rebellious the sound quality was in the context of The Kinks’ emergence during the transition from the conservative 50’s to the revolutionary 60’s. This understanding was only enhanced by the choice to programme the sound to imitate a live stadium gig experience.
I found myself drawn in to receiving the raw vocal tone of Danny Horn as Ray Davies, great basslines and head-banging guitars as if it were, indeed, a live gig. In fact, the finale cover of ‘Lola’ had the audience singing, dancing and clapping along, the lines between theatre and gig blurred. Each song was executed with the musicianship and professionalism of a well-practised band, moments of reflection found in the tender harmony of a male acapella chorus cover of ‘Days’, and the hauntingly beautiful, sparse arrangement of ‘I go to sleep,’ a perfect choice for the siren soprano vocals of Lisa Wright (as Rasa).
Adam Cooper’s choreography is unique and polished, with impressive fight scenes and full ensemble numbers. A truly fabulous moment saw Oliver Hoare as Dave Davies (star of the show) swinging wildly from a high chandelier in a pink slip dress, leather jacket and cowboy boots whilst a heavy riff propelled his flight. It is this form of truly theatrical extravagance that pushed the reception higher, yet the lack of connection I felt to the characters due to an on-the-surface and cliched narrative fixes this musical at a middling point.
Hits Just as Expected
Sunny Afternoon runs at The King’s Theatre until November 1st
Running time: Two hours and forty minutes with one interval
Photo credit:
Review by Dominic Corr – contact@corrblimey.uk
Libbi is an aspiring journalist and creative based in Glasgow. A graduate of Social Anthropology from the University of Edinburgh, she is particularly interested in politically engaged and experimental arts. Outside of reviewing for Corr Blimey, Libbi spends her free time making music, both in bands and on her own, which has recently developed into a passion for writing an original musical. A lover of all-things-performance, Libbi welcomes the opportunity to indulge in the world of theatre.
I completely agree that the music carried the show more than the story. Still, isn’t that almost fitting for a musical about The Kinks? Sometimes the energy of the songs is all you need to feel the spirit of the era.