Theatre Review: Sunny Afternoon at the Theatre Royal

The quartet on stage certainly have the look of The Kinks, the band hailed as one of the most influential of the 1960s, but have they got the sound?

The book of Sunny Afternoon leans heavily on history, from the iconic creation of You Really Got Me’s distorted power chord, to the band’s most notorious on-stage fight, and their disastrous attempt to conquer the USA. It feels, at times, somewhat underdeveloped, and you’re left wanting to see more of what you only get glimpses of. There’s a story here, and a good one, but it never quite materialises in full.

Really, it’s the music you’re here for. Which feels like an obvious statement for, well, a jukebox musical. But this one brings something unique, with the core cast made up of musician-actors playing live instruments to immerse the audience in the music.

That’s makes this show so fun – you truly do feel as if you’re in the crowd of a rock’n’roll gig. The energy leaks out into the audience as dancers and screaming fans weave on and off-stage. The bass is so loud that it vibrates your seat and encourages you up out of it to dance.  

While some elements of the story and shortened versions of other songs can feel a bit chaotic at times, the big numbers are given the room to breathe. Each one of the big hitters – You Really Got Me, All Day and All of the Night, Lola – are seeded with snatches of riffs to get you giddy with anticipation for the song they’re teasing. Those who know the back catalogue well will be able to spot them coming, and it makes it all the more fun.

This is particularly the case with Act 2’s performance of Waterloo Sunset, which the band brings together piece by piece and builds into an absolutely gorgeous crescendo.  The energy in the theatre shifted along with the song – two audience members beside me reached out to grasp each other’s hand. There was definitely a sniffle behind me. I may be biased, because this is one of my favourite songs of all time, but this moment more than the titular Sunny Afternoon was the highlight of the show for me.

There are also a few musical surprises scattered throughout – notably a quite beautiful acapella version of Days performed by the band and their managers, an extended and invigorating drum solo from drummer Mick Avory (Zakarie Stokes), and softer numbers such as I Go To Sleep impressively and emotionally sung by Rasa (Lisa Wright).

Oliver Hoare as guitarist Dave Davies is every inch the slouching rock’n’roller with hair that’s a character all of its own. Harry Curley as nervous bassist Peter Quaife provides moments of comic relief, desperately continuing to play on as one bandmate is carried bloodied offstage, the other chased around the instruments by a policeman. And Danny Horn as frontman Ray Davies captures the energy of a tortured songwriting rock star, whether he’s leaping about with his guitar or staring morosely into space from his bed.

This musical is most explosive when these players all come together; the whole band on stage behind their instruments, giving an air of authenticity to the concert performances being depicted.

For the closing medley, the entire theatre is on its feet and it’s a struggle to keep a grin off your face, as the music smashes out and actors bleed into the crowd to dance and clap along … yeah, it really gets you going.

Sunny Afternoon plays at Nottingham's Theatre Royal until Saturday 21 February 2026.