Sunny Afternoon – Liverpool Empire

Sunny Afternoon captures the spirit of The Kinks with grit, energy, and undeniable heart, delivering a musical that feels both raw and deeply human. Rather than presenting a polished version of the band’s rise to fame, the production leans into the tensions, frustrations, and contradictions that shaped the music, giving the show an authenticity that resonates throughout, directed by Edward Hall.

What makes the musical particularly effective is how closely the songs reflect real life. Tracks such as “Waterloo Sunset,” “Days,” and “You Really Got Me” emerge naturally from the emotional struggles of Ray Davies and Dave Davies, revealing the loneliness, ambition, and family conflict beneath the swagger of the 1960s rock scene. There is something wonderfully unvarnished about the production — the characters argue, clash, and unravel in ways that feel believable rather than sentimentalised.

Musically, the show is electric. The live performances recreate the rough-edged sound of The Kinks brilliantly, and the concert-style staging gives many scenes a thrilling immediacy. At its best, Sunny Afternoon feels less like a conventional musical and more like stepping into the chaos and excitement of a working band struggling to survive fame. This is an exceptionally talented cast who are the triple threat of acting, singing and dancing and all to a superb standard.

The production is underpinned with some fine performances from the band members themselves and Rasa.  Ray (Danny Horn) whose talent on that stage, audience connection and presence oozed from the stage, an outstanding performance. Dave (Oliver Hoare) was chaotic, dramatic and troubled. Again, undeniably musically and artistically talented and creative. Pete (Harry Curley) was a more sullen and lovable character of the band, you felt for him and connected with his feeling of being a fish out of water. Mick (Zakarie Stokes) with blow away drum solos, he was a more balanced character despite his scraps with Dave. Finally, Rasa (Lisa Wright), Ray’s long suffering partner who is yearning for the Ray she met and struggling to hold down the fort on her own without her missing piece. She is a fun but feisty character whose voice is angelic. I cannot stress how absolutely amazingly talented this bunch of performers are. I felt honoured to have been able to witness their creative talents live.

However, despite the outstanding cast and through no fault of theirs, the production occasionally suffers from trying to tell too much of the band’s story at once. Especially in the first half, the script races through legal disputes, family tensions, industry pressures, touring struggles, and shifting relationships at such speed that some moments lack the emotional depth they deserve. Important events are sometimes introduced and resolved too quickly, making parts of the narrative feel crowded and episodic rather than fully developed. If you are a Kinks fan then the overload of information is more a recap however, if you only know their music, the first half feels like a barrage of information and can be very hard to keep track of. Fortunately, the second half slows down dramatically and really delves into emotional scenes and plays them out making them feel more explored and understood.

The costumes (Charlotte Innes) are authentic to the 1960s era with The Kinks performance outfits being carefully curated to reflect the fashion and style of the band. All supporting cast members are easily recognisable through their costumes dictating their role and class of the time.

Sound (Matt McKenzie) and lighting (Rick Fisher) really make this show electric, bringing the raw energy and sound to life. In more homely scenes it’s lighter and there are sound effects such as rain outside to bring you into the room. In contrast, Kinks performances are brash, harsh lighting in places, ripped sound. Mix these with a set which is big and grand but easily adaptable to show the scene and space using props and movable parts of the set. The staging aids to bring to story to life.

Even so, the sheer vitality of the music carries the show forward. The humour, the sharp dialogue, and the emotional honesty ensure that Sunny Afternoon remains compelling throughout. It is gritty, loud, funny, and ultimately moving — a fitting tribute to a band whose music understood ordinary life in all its messiness.

Reviewer: Steph Wiswall

Reviewed: 19th May 2026

North West End UK Rating: