Sunny Afternoon at the Grand Opera House, York.
Some musicals do nothing more than thrive off the feel-good factor, the glossy sheen of spectacle and the sentimentality of songs. Even worse, there are some musicals that attempt to pay homage to a specific musical artist or group, but consist of little more than a group of hits and a limited storyline. You can imagine my fear and apprehension, then, when I first found out that Sunny Afternoon, a musical charting the early story of The Kinks was coming to York. Would it be a nostalgic saunter down memory lane or something more substantial?
Thankfully, Sunny Afternoon is the latter of those two categories. As opposed to a typical jukebox musical, or as they’re sometimes mistakenly billed ‘theatrical concerts’, Sunny Afternoon follows a similar formula to that of the Buddy Holly Story. We watch as Ray and Dave Davies (James Hudson and Mark Newnham), along with their bandmates Pete and Mick (Garmon Rhys and Andrew Gallo), rise to stardom as one of the most influential bands of the 60s.
Ray Davies and Joe Penal have created a work that is more than reminiscences about a time when British self-esteem was arguably at its highest. Instead Davies’ songs, which originally buffeted a quintessentially 1960s British mindset, take on lives of their own. They act as effective storytelling devices in this new context, and assist in the generation of an immersive, exciting atmosphere that resonates as loudly as one of the Kinks’ ravaged amps.
There’s a genuine, organic sense of energy and ensemble-wide joy as the production progresses. You can really feel the chemistry on stage – it’s infectious and thoroughly engaging, inviting you to embark on a journey peppered with resilience, sibling rivalry and the euphoria of sheer success in light of real difficulty. There’s nothing more inviting and engaging than knowing your storytellers – in this production, the dancers and musicians donning Miriam Buether’s wonderfully stylish costumes – are having a seriously good time telling their story.
Fuelled by this sense of energy are some really lovely, well-drawn performances. Hudson and Newnham are a perfect contrast, and create dynamic energy between them, echoing and reflecting on the same relationship between the real Davies brothers. Garmon Rhys also gives a nuanced, intimate performance as bassist Pete, showing us the darker, isolated reality that inevitably and invariably emerges on the road to stardom.
Director Edward Hall had a real task on his hands with Sunny Afternoon. Conjuring up the 60s zeitgeist resonant with a large number of the audience, many of whom looked to have been around when the real Kinks were jamming on their screens, is no easy feat. Yet his orchestration and execution of this piece is highly admirable. Buether’s set design, with walls covered in speakers and minimal furniture onstage, combined with Rick Fisher’s vibrant lighting design, makes for a potent scenography that fully supports the world of the musical.
Ultimately, Sunny Afternoon harmonises the Kinks’ story with the ubiquitous fighter and dreamer in everyone. It invites the audience to re-ignite their own spark, whilst standing up as a highly enjoyable piece of musical theatre.
For more information on Sunny Afternoon, click here.
