A Sunny Afternoon With The Kinks, Opera House, Manchester

If you go to Sunny Afternoon expecting little more than a run through of hits of The Kinks, then think again. This is a show that has a true story behind it, and there is a big Yorkshire connection.

The musical has been running in London's West End for over 18 months and is now embarking on a nationwide tour.

We discover how The Kinks got together with the background of brotherly rivalry between Ray and his brother Dave. The two city gents who became their managers are clearly not from the working class background of Ray and his brother, and their values seem utterly at odds.

We learn how the band became big in the Sixties but were penniless as their managers, publicist and publisher were taking most of the money they earned.

Ryan O'Donnell as Ray Davies, might not exactly look like Davies but he played the lead role with a cheeky yet vulnerable charm. His brother Dave played by Mark Newnham looked more like Dave Davies did in the Sixties, his drinking and womanising seeming totally at odds with Ray who came across as the more artistic brother: Ray wrote most of the songs.

Whilst playing a gig in Sheffield Ray meets Rasa (Linda Wright) whose parents were from Lithuania but came to Bradford during the war.

Wright's Bradford accent could have been broader but her sweet charm came across well. Rasa becomes pregnant and has Ray's child with them getting married in Bradford.

We never get to see Rasa's parents but the Bradford catholic schoolgirl is deeply shocked when she learns of the pregnancy fearing what they will say.

I seem to remember in the London production there were more references to Bradford such as when Rasa tells Ray when he is phoning from America that she had been for a walk in Lister Park with the baby but this seems to have been cut from the touring version.

Rasa moves down to London to be with Ray and sings backing vocals on the hit tracks. There are some very funny lines in the show. " You'd never get Paul McCartney's wife singing on his records" jokes the band's managers. At the time it would not have been funny but in retrospect it is. " John Lennon would never lie in bed all day writing songs" is another one too.

The band tour America but become homesick against the background of problems with not being in the country's musician federation, with internal tensions rising in the group they come home with Ray suffering exhaustion.

All is not lost as Ray writes some more hit tracks and they meet American agent Allen Klein (Robert Took) who gets them more fame and fortune. The show ends with a montage of Their big hits which have also been played throughout the evening.

If you are a fan of The Kinks you will enjoy this juke box musical, it takes a while to get going and the second half is better than the first. The cast enter and exit at times through the stalls and the small catwalk that protrudes from centre stage is used a lot which brings the atmosphere closer to everyone.

The man himself, Ray Davies, came on stage at the end, adding a personal touch to this high energy and entertaining show.

Yes, it's really got it.

Runs until Saturday 27 August.