It may have been a chilly October evening in the rest of Birmingham, but it was a beautifully Sunny Afternoon at The Alexandra on Tuesday evening as a smash-hit musical based on the songs of The Kinks arrived in the city, bringing with it a much-needed blast of warmth and jollity.

This show is pure delight. From the opening bars of You Really Got Me to the closing notes of Waterloo Sunset, it’s impossible not to be swept along in a wave of happiness by the superb cast and the even-more-superb tunes of one of the greatest bands of the 1960s.

Based on Joe Penhall’s book and directed by Edward Hall, Sunny Afternoon charts the rise to fame of four ‘scruffy working-class oiks’ from Muswell Hill, set against the backdrop of their most famous songs. We see their ups and downs, and it cannot be denied that they had their fair share of darker times. Lead singer & songwriter Ray Davies (Danny Horn) constantly locks horns with his hot-headed younger brother Dave (Oliver Hoare), and the band battles music-industry moguls whose sole purpose seems to be to exploit the group for maximum profit.

In all, though, this is a tale of triumph over adversity, as The Kinks achieve the renown they deserve and are feted as the true stars they are, with tunes which have become timeless classics.

The youthful cast (Zakarie Stokes as Mick Avory and Harry Curley as Pete Quaife complete The Kinks’ four-strong line-up) bring terrific energy to the stage and perfectly convey the passion of four driven young men. Spirited choreography and zingy costumes take us back to the 60s, and the tunes speak for themselves; most bands could only dream of having such a strong back catalogue, and hit follows sublime, toe-tapping hit.

Since its first performance in London more than 10 years ago, Sunny Afternoon has enjoyed a sell-out West End run, won four Olivier Awards (including Best New Musical and Outstanding Achievement In Music for Ray Davies), and toured extensively to great acclaim. Its success is no surprise. With tunes like this and a stellar cast, Sunny Afternoon is irresistible, unadulterated joy, surely one of the standout shows of recent years. A definite must-see and a magical, musical gem.

Five stars

Sunny Afternoon was reviewed by Rachel Smith on Tuesday 21 October at Birmingham’s The Alexandra, where it shows until this Saturday (25 October).