Sunny Afternoon At Theatre Royal Brighton Review
DISCLOSURE – TICKETS TO SEE THE SHOW WERE GIFTED TO THE REVIEWER AND GUEST FOR THE PURPOSES OF WRITING THE REVIEW
Reviewed by Amanda Hayes
Born in 1970 the music of the Kinks was not only the soundtrack of my early childhood it remains a firm favourite to this day, so the opportunity to attend the press night of Sunny Afternoon at the Theatre Royal Brighton, was one I couldn’t pass up.
Theatre Royal is not our local theatre and we had forgotten just how fabulous this Grade II listed theatre is. Opening in 1807, it still keeps all its historic attributes with olde world charm and small intimate bars on every level, but has a capacity of 952 seats over four levels, three of these fantastic overhanging balconies, all with amazing views. Acoustics are great here due to the size and shape of the auditorium.
It is easy to reach being a 10-minute walk from the train station and is well signposted from the M23. On arrival there is a car park 5 mins walk away with a special theatre rate from 5pm. Pay machines can get busy afterwards so pre-book via the app if you can.
Our tickets were in the Royal Circle Stalls, which is the first balcony level up, and had a great view of the stage. At almost bang on 7.30pm the show started and there started a fabulous evening’s entertainment. Sunny Afternoon showcases the lives, loves & music of The Kinks. Telling the story through song, the relationship between the two Davies brothers and the rest of the band are brought to life, with the music, lyrics & original story being written by Ray Davies himself. Don’t go expecting a tribute band, Sunny Afternoon is so much more than that, it is a beautifully crafted musical telling the rise of the band from Muswell Hill to Maddison Gardens, with the ups and downs in-between.
The characters of Ray and Dave Davies are played by Danny Horn and Oliver Hoare and their singing was both note-perfect and full of powerful emotion, recreating the brother’s volatile relationship, Dave’s party lifestyle & Ray’s depression with sentiment & empathy.
Harry Curley plays Peter Quaife, the bassist that never quite fitted in, and Zakarie Stokes makes his professional debut as drummer Mick Avory, complete with a fabulous drum solo in the second half of the show, both were excellent, truly believable, succeeding in taking you back to the 1960’s. Eleven other cast members more than succeed in bringing the backstory to life, filled with songs, ranging from big hits with full production to quieter vocal performances. Of particular note here are Lisa Wright as Rasa and Tam Williams and Joseph Richardson as Grenville Collins and Robert Wave, who bring the humour into the production with their upper-class double act.
Recreating eight years of a band’s rollercoaster ride on stage is not easy but the acting and singing of the whole cast is outstanding, and if you didn’t know much about The Kinks life when you went in, you will come out both understanding & empathising which is impressive after a two-and-a-half-hour performance.
The production has an age recommendation of 12+ due to strong language, which was about right, whilst our nearly 13 year old thoroughly enjoyed himself, it may be a bit strong for anyone younger. The language isn’t excessive or out of context however, they were the bad boys of music after all!
We really did have a fantastic evening watching Sunny Afternoon at The Theatre Royal, Brighton, all the hits were there including Waterloo Sunset & You Really Got me, ending with a standing ovation to the finale of Lola in Maddison Garden City. It might not be the traditional festive entertainment, but I wholeheartedly recommend the show, get your tickets now before they sell out.
Rating: 5/5
Tickets cost from £15 to £72 with a transaction fee of up to £3.95
Sunny Afternoon, is at The Theatre Royal Brighton, from Wed 17 Dec 2025 – Sat 3 Jan 2026
For more information or to book tickets https://www.atgtickets.com/shows/sunny-afternoon/theatre-royal-brighton/ or call box office on 0333 009 6690
Address: New Road, Brighton,East Sussex, BN1 1SD