Introduction

This introduction presents an overview of the key concepts covered in the subsequent chapters of this book. The book examines the key players, the content of Act One, the content of Act Two, and then two appendices: one that provides a Sunny Afternoon fact sheet of dates, credits, and awards, and a second that chronicles background information on the show's twenty-eight songs. Multiple reviewers highlighted the rich theatricality of Hall's staging, most notably when Dave Davies 'swings from a hotel chandelier dressed only in ladies' lingerie, and a glowing rendition of 'Sunny Afternoon' that summons up the euphoria of England's 1966 World Cup triumph' complete with Union Jack confetti cascading down upon the theatre audience. Via the collaboration of Davies and Penhall, Sunny Afternoon reveals the inner dynamics of the Kinks, while also providing insight on an era that continues to reverberate through popular culture.