Review: SUNNY AFTERNOON

by Lynn on January 24, 2015

in The Passionate Playgoer

At the Harold Pinter Theatre, London, England

Book by Joe Penhall

Music and lyrics by Ray Davies

Original story by Ray Davies

Directed by Edward Hall

Designed by Miriam Buether

Choreographed by Adam Cooper

Lighting by Rick Fisher

Sound by Matt McKenzie (for Autograph)

Musical Director and Supervisor; Elliott Ware

A loud, jumped up juke box musical about the Kinks and their bumpy, tortured rise to fame and subsequent crash to disbandment.

The Story. It’s the story of the ‘60s rock band, the Kinks, headed by Ray Davies, a veritable song-writing machine, Dave Davies, his occasionally cross-dressing, song-writer brother, Mick Avory, and Peter Quaife. They came from working class, British stock. Ray Davies seemed to compose standing up, observing. He celebrated being British unlike other rock bands that wrote about worldly things. They were picked up by two suit-wearing stockbrokers who wanted to manage them and the music publisher who wanted to record their songs.

Ray Davies was street-smart and knew that the managers seemed to get all the money and the band got precious little. But they wanted to have their music recorded, fame was an afterthought. They signed.

Their songs became hits: Sunday Afternoon, Waterloo Sunset, Lola, Long Tall Sally, You Really Got Me, and on and on. You might not be familiar with the Kinks but you will know their songs.

They toured. Fame and eventual money got the better of them. They went to America and ran afoul of the unions. They refused to pay American union dues. They were then banned from touring in America for four years. That was death to a band that wanted to make it big.

In the end they got another manager—who took most of their money—but he got them a gig at Madison Square Gardens. They disbanded in 1996 because they couldn’t make any money.

The Production. Miriam Buether has created a set that looks like both a recording studio and a club or stadium where the band would give a concert. There are all sorts of speakers mounted on the back wall, musical instruments and microphones in front of that and a runway that goes into the crowd down which a singer can run and scope out the audience. There are round tables and chairs along the sides of the stage suggesting the band’s earlier incarnation as the Ravens when they played to sophisticated supper-club audiences. Then they were fronted by a white-jacketed singer who catered to the upper class crowd. At a certain point in the crooning concert the music gets raucous, the band plays loudly and the swish crowd kicks up their heels.

From there the band is picked up by the well-suited stock-brokers who change the name of the band to the Kinks—something about them looking ‘kinky’. The band is now dressed in identical green suits. They have a look like any other band. Their individuality is not established until the end of the show, when they play Madison Square Gardens. They are then in casual slacks and shirts, each different.

Director Edward Hall and his celebrated choreographer Adam Cooper had all the lively jumping around of a rock concert. I find one section odd with the back-up girl dancers dancing to the sides but in front of the band, thus pulling focus as far as I thought. But it seems that might have been how it was back then. Cooper keeps the dancing simple. Nothing provocative, generic moves

As Ray Davies, the conscience of the group, main song-writer and front man, Luke Baker is brooding, watchful, smart, and an artist. He is also the understudy and does a splendid job. As Dave Davies, the hedonistic, out-of-control, occasionally cross-dressing brother, George Maguire is hopped up, hair-flicking manic. He also plays a mean guitar. The rest of the cast is unremarkable.

Comment. I was not a follower of rock music growing up. Broadway musicals was my love (truly!), so while I knew who the Kinks were and realize I knew a lot of their songs, I didn’t follow that kind of music.

Their output is impressive. Their story seems to follow a pattern of struggling to make it; making it; then having it all go to ruin with the success, money and fame going to their heads. I found the book by Joe Penhall to be cliché ridden, which surprises me because he’s written such good plays: Haunted Child, Blue Orange, Landscape with Weapons.

For all the success of Ray Davies as a song writer, I found the songs simplistic and the lyrics like bubble gum. Interestingly the music only used three chords, according to those in the musical know. Of course the songs sounded simple. But an extensive program note parsed and examined the lyrics of Davies and praised them for being deep, satiric, and calls Ray Davies a genius. The writer also thought that since Davies pronounced his words clearly that was revolutionary. Me, I found the show forgettable. And long. Well of course, it wasn’t the story that kept us in the theatre so long, it was having to get through the band’s many hits. I am not slighting it for being what it is, a juke-box formulaic musical. I just prefer something deeper; something with bite. Give me Sondheim.

Produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Hampstead Theatre Productions and many other producers.

First performed at the Harold Pinter Theatre: Oct. 4, 2014.

I saw it: Jan. 20, 2015

Closes: Open ended.

Cast: 15; 10 men, 5 women

Running Time: 2 hours, 45 minutes

www.atgtickets.com

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{ 10 comments… read them below or add one }

1 Big Italy January 26, 2015 at 9:49 am

Terrible review – the kinks – simple lyrics? You don’t get it my friend. Find something to do besides reviewing shows, you are clueless.

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2 Paula Dunham January 26, 2015 at 11:25 am

You obviously didn’t see the same Musical I did. “Sunny Afternoon”, has to be one of the BEST fun musically brilliant theatre shows I have ever seen. I would highly recommend it to anyone wanting a great night out.

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3 Morris Lan January 26, 2015 at 11:57 am

As you mentioned: “I was not a follower of rock music growin up….I didn´t follow that kind of music” For that simple reason, this musical play is not for you…you´ll never understand the grandiosity of the music of The Kinks, neither Ray Davies’ lyrics!! Yes, we give you Sondheim.

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4 Colette January 26, 2015 at 11:57 am

I couldn’t disagree more. I found it really uplifting and a pleasure to watch. I am too young to remember the hits at the time but how someone cannot see the brilliance of Waterloo Sunset is beyond me. It’s not meant to be a deep, thought provoking production, it is the true story of one of Britains most iconic groups. If you prefer Sondheim then it probably was never going to be for you.

I loved the show and anyone who likes a laid back, unpretentious show then you will love it too…

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5 Patrick Stuart January 26, 2015 at 1:03 pm

Whatever your personal opinion of the show, Lynn, you have been misinformed about how many chords Ray Davies` songs contain. While some do contain only 3, as do many rock songs, many contain more, sometimes many more chords but often seem deceptively simple.

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6 chris January 26, 2015 at 1:35 pm

“they were fronted by a white-jacketed singer who catered to the upper class crowd. At a certain point in the crooning concert”

The white-jacketed singer IS one of the guys who becomes their manager.

As for the cliches…read up on the Kinks — a hell of a lot of the script comes from real life.

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7 chris January 26, 2015 at 1:39 pm

PS “For all the success of Ray Davies as a song writer, I found the songs simplistic and the lyrics like bubble gum. Interestingly the music only used three chords, according to those in the musical know. Of course the songs sounded simple. But an extensive program note parsed and examined the lyrics of Davies and praised them for being deep, satiric, and calls Ray Davies a genius. The writer also thought that since Davies pronounced his words clearly that was revolutionary. Me, I found the show forgettable. ”

is hilarious. It’s like someone dismissing Hamlet as an angsty teen because you sort of know who this Shakespeare feller is, having heard about him from someone in the know…

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8 Bill Orton January 27, 2015 at 1:44 am

You admit you are not a fan of the music, so really sounds as if you should not have been at the show! Your friends “in the know” obviously do not know to much about music, as none of the songs featured are “only three chords”.Ray and Dave Davies were the main creative force in the Kinks and you compliment their characters, but to say the rest of the cast are “unremarkable” is an insult to a dedicated hard working team, who all play a part in making the show the success that it is. One final point, the show is “Musical Theater” and the story-line is based on actual events, but it is not a factual documentary, and should not be read as such. You stick to Sondhiem (great music as well) Regards Bill Orton

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9 Jeff Walderman January 27, 2015 at 10:11 am

I was fortunate enough to have seen this show as well. It’s Jersey Boys for the Kinks. Their major issue was being ripped off by their management but it was happening to all the 60’s rock acts back in the day including the Beatles and the Stones. The 3-chord songs that Lynn spoke of were for two of their classic hits- You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night. Ray went on to write other great tunes with much more depth and sophistication. Kink fans know what I’m talking about. “Sunny Afternoon” was more or less a typical juke box musical by the end of Act One. The second act, however, had a lot of heart and this is the main element of the show that has given it the success it currently enjoys. The rousing encore of Lola, You really got me and All day and all of the night didn’t hurt either. Just about everyone in the capacity audience were the old Kinks fans so how could they miss? Interesting to note that the original line up of the band are about to embark on a 2 month British tour. Hopefully one success leads to another and they’ll be back in North America this summer. Brings to mind another Kinks song – So Tired of waiting for you!

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10 Joseph Mar January 27, 2015 at 11:58 am

Very respectble opinion. It’s a shame you don’t like the show.

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