The Kinks return to Blackpool 60 years on with brand new musical at The Grand Theatre

An award-winning stage musical about The Kinks is due to arrive in Blackpool next week, bringing the band’s story back to a town where they once performed at the height of their fame.

Sunny Afternoon – The Kinks Musical will run at Blackpool Grand Theatre from Tuesday 28 April to Saturday 2 May. The production previously completed a two-year run in London’s West End and has since toured the UK and Ireland.

The show charts the rise of the band during the 1960s, alongside the personal and professional challenges they faced. It features songs including “You Really Got Me”, “Lola”, “Waterloo Sunset” and “All Day and All of the Night”.

Its visit to Blackpool reflects a historical link between the band and the resort. The Kinks performed in the town during their 1966 tour, appearing at the Pleasure Beach Casino during a period of significant change in British music and culture.

The musical includes music and lyrics by Ray Davies, with a book by Joe Penhall and direction from Edward Hall. The production focuses on the band’s internal dynamics as well as their success, presenting a portrayal of fame, family and creative tension.

‘Humbling and surreal’

Reflecting on seeing his life and music brought to the stage, Ray Davies says: “Daunting at first. I was working on the storyline on and off for three years, but in many ways the story is contained within the songs.

“The songs were written in such specific moments of my life and now they’ve been reinterpreted, given new context. It’s humbling, and sometimes a bit surreal, to see the audience connect to those moments as if they’re happening now. It’s proof that the music still has a pulse.”

Davies was determined the show should have emotional truth rather than sentimentality. As he explains: “With caution at the beginning so I pretended it was about somebody else. I didn’t want it to be just another jukebox musical.

“I wanted Sunny Afternoon to have heart, to show what it really felt like to live through that madness. We approached it as a piece of storytelling, not nostalgia.”

‘Incredibly exciting’

Award-winning writer Joe Penhall, returning to the show more than ten years after its West End debut, believes its power has only grown. “It’s incredibly exciting to be doing it again,” he says. “All of us involved feel we really need it in our lives. It’s got a medicinal quality that always makes everyone feel better about life.”

Penhall describes a production built on genuine collaboration and creative integrity rather than commercial shortcuts. “We didn’t just take the songs and cook up some filler to cash in.

“We both felt that the show had to be every bit as good as a great Kinks record - the same power to move, the same sophistication, emotion and wit - or else we’d have failed.” At its heart, Sunny Afternoon is the story of outsiders pushing against boundaries - a theme that continues to resonate today.

As Penhall reflects: “As a band The Kinks were the perennial outsiders - punk before punk - and as they said themselves, ‘Misfits.’… If the twentieth century taught us anything it taught us that it’s OK to be a misfit.”

‘It makes us feel alive’

Despite exploring conflict, class, censorship and creative tension, Sunny Afternoon ultimately leaves audiences exhilarated, uplifted and united by music. “People come to the show and feel euphoric and consoled and gripped all at once because they can see vestiges of their own lives in it — but they always end up on their feet dancing — and that’s the way we like it. It makes us feel alive.”

Ray Davies hopes audiences in Blackpool will leave with both joy and reflection: “The hope is that audiences will be able to see a glimpse of our history while enjoying a great night out. If people walk out humming the songs, that’s lovely. I hope they leave with a sense of joy, but also reflection.”

For tickets, visit Blackpool Grand Theatre online at www.blackpoolgrand.co.uk or call 01253 290 190.