***Last chance to see! - The final performance will be on 29 October 2016***

Edward Hall’s Sunny Afternoon is a euphoric new take on the jukebox musical. Playwright Joe Penhall and the Kinks’ own Ray Davies have teamed up to create a show that manages to tell the story of Ray Davies and the Kinks with ecstatic energy whilst also capturing the defining moments of the 1960s.

It’s Ray Davies experiences as a Kinks member that is the focus of this musical, from his early life through to the Kinks rise to fame, and it is his music, including the iconic ‘You Really Got Me’, ‘Lola’ and, of course, ‘Sunny Afternoon’, that is belted out with astonishing alacrity and joy. The Kinks were new and they were unusual, not just for their pioneering music and their lyrics of extraordinary narrative skill, but also because they were a British group and they weren’t from the north.

Penhall expertly interweaves story and song, highlighting all of the conflicts and scrimmages suffered by these four boys from Muswell Hill, from onstage fights to the Kinks being banned from the US. Designer Miriam Buether has fun with the 50s and 60s setting of Sunny Afternoon, immersing the audience in these tumultuous decades.

Part biography, part snapshot of an era and all music, Sunny Afternoon has now extended its booking period at West End’s Harold Pinter Theatre into 2015 due to popular demand.

‘The show the West End has been waiting for. Buy a ticket and go!’ Gay Times

 ‘A conveyor belt of raucous fun’ Daily Mail

 ‘The best British musical since Billy Elliot’ Mark Shenton, The Stage 

Duration

2 hours 45 minutes including one interval.

Location

Harold Pinter

Panton Street, London, SW1Y 4DN

Additional Details & FAQ

Cancellation Policy

No Refunds or exchanges available.

Where Do I Go

Harold Pinter Theatre,Panton Street,London,SW1Y 4DN

By Tube- Piccadilly Circus, Leicester Square, Charing Cross

By Bus-14, 19, 24, 29, 38

Critic Reviews

5.0(2 reviews)
  • The Telegraph

    Jan 15, 2013

    It is an irresistibly enjoyable and touching night, and anyone who loves pop music at its greatest would be mad to miss it.

  • Daily Mail

    Jan 15, 2013

    "After an indifferent year for new musical shows in London, here is a belter. Hampstead Theatre, run by Sir Peter Hall’s son Edward, has come up with a Joe Penhall bio-musical about The Kinks. Funny, stylish, well-performed, quirky — it has everything The Kinks had."

Reviews

4.8(50 reviews)
  • Roger Power

    Oct 25, 2016

    Sunny Afternoon makes you leave the theatre with a real buzz and a joy in your heart. From the word go there is never a dull moment. Unfortunately it finishes this Saturday, so if you wish to see it, get your tickets quickly.

  • Simon

    Oct 21, 2016

    Love this show. It's the second time I have been and in the Harold Pinter theatre, there is a real charm about the whole experience. That, coupled with one of the best stories in pop music and fantastic on-stage delivery, makes for one of the most memorable evenings you can have.

  • Ian Mac

    Oct 16, 2016

    Fantastic night. So good I've booked to see it again

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