Sunny Afternoon Archives - North West End UK

21May

By Stephanie WiswallNo Comments

North West

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 ...

Sunny Afternoon – Leeds Grand Theatre

If you thought Liam and Noel were the most quarrelsome rock ‘n’ roll siblings, this often dark jukebox musical featuring the hits of The Kinks will make you think again. The decades-long sibling rivalry at the band’s creative heart, tortured songwriter Ray Davies and his wild guitarist sibling Dave, make the Gallagher boys look like choirboys in comparison. They were at each other’s throats from the moment they formed The Kinks in Muswell Hill with constant bickering, plus onstage fistfights, which led to them being the only UK pop act banned from America at the heart of their powers, denying them the chance to be huge across the pond. They probably wouldn’t have made it big like the Fab Four or The Who as Ray’s often bittersweet classics that are all included in the show are so quin...

The National Lottery’s Big Night of Musicals – AO Arena

For the 5th year running 12,000 people packed into the AO Arena to witness some of the best musicals from West End and touring companies. Hosted once again by Manchester’s own Jason Manford this was the biggest production to date. Opening with the unmistakeable The Lion King, and Circle of Life, the arena was transported to the African savanna, a stunning opening to a stunning treat for musical theatre fans. Ava Brennan followed with an emotional version of As Long As He Needs Me from the current West End revival of Oliver. This was followed by a powerful medley from Miss Saigon who had brought their entire touring cast to Manchester led by Seann Miley Moore, the Engineer whose performance of American Dream will live long in this reviewer’s memory soaring high above the stage. Tak...