Celebrating the raw energy and timeless sound of one of Britain’s most iconic bands, Sunny Afternoon, the four-time Olivier Award-winning musical inspired by The Kinks, returns to the UK this spring.
The production will run at Curve Theatre from 21–25 April, offering audiences a vivid journey through the music and story of one of the defining bands of the 1960s.
Picture credit: Curve
With an original story and music and lyrics by Ray Davies, the show traces The Kinks’ euphoric highs and agonising lows. It features a catalogue of hits including You Really Got Me, Lola, and All Day and All of the Night, alongside lesser-known gems. The production captures both the excitement and turbulence of the 1960s, exploring ambition, creative freedom, and life in a band on the edge of global fame.
Davies reflected on seeing his story come alive on stage: “It was daunting at first. I was working on the storyline for three years, but the story is contained within the songs. They were written in specific moments of my life and now they’ve been reinterpreted. It’s humbling – and sometimes surreal – to see audiences connect as if those moments are happening now. It proves the music still has a pulse.”
He was closely involved in shaping the musical and approached revisiting his past carefully. “At first I pretended it was about somebody else,” he explains. “I didn’t want it to be just another jukebox musical. I wanted Sunny Afternoon to have heart – to show what it really felt like to live through that madness.
“It wasn’t about nostalgia or polishing the past. It was about exploring it with the rawness that inspired the songs.”
Working with director Edward Hall and writer Joe Penhall also offered new perspectives. “When you’ve lived something, you think you know the story inside out,” Davies says. “But Edward and Joe held up a mirror to it. They asked questions I hadn’t considered in years, which made me reassess things. They didn’t rewrite my version – they expanded it.”
Davies recalls the striking contrasts of the 1960s: “One day we were scraping by in Muswell Hill, the next we were banned from America. There were moments of chaos and others of beautiful clarity. Coming out of the Second World War, everything suddenly felt bright and exciting.”
The musical’s themes – rebellion, ambition, and self-discovery – continue to resonate. “Every generation experiences its own rebellion,” Davies observes. “The 60s were our revolution, but the spirit of questioning authority and chasing authenticity never disappears. People see themselves in that struggle, whether forming a band or figuring out who they are.”
Showcasing his back catalogue has also been meaningful. “Songs like ‘Lola’ or ‘Days’ have their own lives,” Davies says, “but when heard alongside ‘Dead End Street’ or ‘Sunny Afternoon’, you see the full picture. The musical connects those dots and reminds me why I wrote them.”
As Sunny Afternoon returns to the UK stage, Davies hopes audiences leave with more than a tune in their heads. “If people walk out humming the songs, that’s wonderful,” he says. “But I also hope they leave with a sense of joy and reflection. At its heart, it’s a story about resilience – keeping your head when the world’s spinning too fast.”
To find out what else is on at Curve, visit: www.curveonline.co.uk/whats-on/shows/sunny-afternoon
