Verdict: Five stars.

THE swinging sixties have never sounded as good as they do in new musical Sunny Afternoon.

For the show, which features the hits of The Kinks, really got the King's Theatre audience going on Tuesday night.

Charting the birth of the band, the musical explores The Kinks rise to fame and the pitfalls associated with it.

In similar vein to hit jukebox musical The Jersey Boys, the real star of the show is the music which was created by the genius that is Ray Davies. 

But the cast, particulary the actors who play The Kinks deliver that music in a truly spectacular way.

Ray is played by the very talented Ryan O'Donnell who potrays the songwriter as a tortured soul who is still grieving the loss of his sister.

Ryan's voice is simply outstanding, and his delivery of the lyrics penned by Davis decades earlier make you appreciate them even more.

He is supported by his wayward brother Dave Davies, played by Mark Newnham. He is rock n' roll in every sense of the word and brings comedy to the musical making him instantly likeable.

The brothers are backed by Mick Avory, played by Andrew Gallo, who is simply outstanding on the drums, and Pete Quaife, played by Garmon Rhys, who is forever leaving the band.

From Waterloo Sunset to Lola, the musical makes you appreciate the true artistry behind The Kinks music. The boys emergence on the scene, and their continued popularity was perhaps at times overshadowed by The Beatles - the musical itself even has a few gags around this - and there are many who unfortunately do not realise how many great songs The Kinks are behind.

This is why Sunny Afternoon is the perfect tribute to the band. It reminds a new generation of a back catalogue full of classics.

The creators of the show could have also simply relied on the music. But their plot potrayed a story about friendship, family and life which is simply heartwarming.

The only downfall of the show is it makes you want to experience a decade where the fashion was funky, the music meant something and rock n'roll was the voice of a generation.

Catch Sunny Afternoon at The King's Theatre until Saturday.