★★★★★

The songs of the Kinks capture images of English life, and this embracing show highlights the band’s wonderful catalogue.

The music is anything but a Dead End Street as raw rock like You Really Got Me and All Day and All of the Night paves the way for more reflective moments like Days and Where Have All The Good Times Gone?

The storyline loosely tracks the rise of master songsmith Ray Davies and his not always merry band of tunesmiths, and the musical is peppered with humour and touching moments.

Ryan O’Donnell and Mark Newnham are a brilliant double act as sensitive Ray and manic Dave Davies in a superb cast. Songs are knitted cleverly into the witty script, but when they are given the standalone treatment just about everybody in the audience is on their feet dancing.

It might be argued that with such gems of songs like the glorious Waterloo Sunset and the cheeky Lola the show can hardly fail, but the script, with a dash of pathos thrown in, is clever enough to avoid the production becoming a glorified tribute band session.

This is true musical theatre at its best and a heart-warming Christmas treat.