Sunny Afternoon announces national tour

As Sunny Afternoon celebrates its second year in the West End, it has announced it will embark on its first national tour opening at Manchester Opera House next August.

Directed by Edward Hall, Sunny Afternoon charts the iconic band The Kink's rise to fame. The show features a book by Joe Penhall with music, lyrics and original story by Ray Davies.

After premiering at Hampstead Theatre it transferred to the West End's Harold Pinter Theatre in October 2014.

Sunny Afternoon won four awards at this year's Oliviers: Best New Musical, Best Actor in a Musical for John Dagleish, Best Supporting Actor in a Musical for George Maguire and Outstanding Achievement in Music for Ray Davies.

The show features some of The Kinks’ most well-known songs, including "You Really Got Me", "Waterloo Sunset" and "Lola". The West End cast currently includes Danny Horn as Ray Davies, Oliver Hoare as Dave Davies, Tom Whitelock as bassist Pete Quaife and Damien Walsh as drummer Mick Avory.

Sunny Afternoon will open at the Manchester Opera House (19 to 27 August) before transferring to Milton Keynes, Birmingham, Edinburgh, Southend, Aylesbury, Sunderland, Glasgow, Torquay, Woking, Dartford, Stoke, Brighton, Oxford, Liverpool. York and Bristol.

The West End production is currently running at The Harold Pinter Theatre.