‘Six’ is an Olivier nominated musical, written only a few years ago; I had heard phenomenal things about the show, so I had to see it for myself.
Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, ‘Six’ is a musical which follows Henry VIII’s six wives, as they compete for the role of lead singer in their newly formed girl group. How do they do this? By singing about their tragedies and miserable lives.
Recently switched up by a new cast change, I saw four principal cast members and two alternates: Amy Di Bartolomeo (Aragon), Amanda Lindgren (Boleyn), Roxanne Couch (alternate Seymour), Dionne Ward Anderson (Cleves), Danielle Rose (alternate Howard) and Meesha Turner (Parr).
I heard about the musical when I was revising my GCSE history content (for the Elizabeth paper) and was trying to remember easy and efficient ways to remember Protestantism and (basically) the drama between Aragon, Boleyn and Henry. When I was researching (and let's face it, procrastinating) on Google, I came across ‘Six’. I listened to a few songs and to say I was obsessed was an understatement - like Hamilton, the show was a mix of history and musicals, two of my favourite things.
Going into the musical, I already knew the songs but had not watched any clips of the show as I wanted to surprise myself. It was amazing, and better live because you can really see each character and their character development. I think my favourite Queen was Catherine Parr, because she was so inspiring. While most of the other Queens were arguing over affairs, Parr wrote books and ‘fought for female education’, which was very uncommon at the time for a woman. Not only that, Meesha Turner’s voice and riffs were incredible. However, the show includes a wide range of songs, from emotional (Heart of Stone), to funny (Get Down) and entertaining (House of Holbein).
I always like seeing alternates and swings, because they hold the show together. Learning and performing six different characters and filling in for both emergencies and scheduled shows must be unpredictable and challenging, but makes the performers bring out a new side of the character which you may not have seen before.
But what made the show stand out?
The costumes and lighting, for starters, were immense. Each Queen had their own costume (I was lucky enough to see the principal costumes, but the alternate/swing ones look amazing too) which matched their persona and song. Boleyn had a bouncy skirt to match her playfulness, and Parr wore trousers, which to me, makes her stand out as she was the one Queen who challenged gender stereotypes. The lighting was also amazing, and matched the Queens - it really helped turn the musical into the Queens’ concert. The finer details were amazing too. For example, the band were called the Ladies in Waiting, and were each named after one of the Queens’ Ladies in Waiting.
The show is inspiring; the principal cast are all POC, and are all women. This makes me think that young girls must see the show and think ‘I can do that’, whether it be being a performer, writing like Parr or being successful. I definitely think the show has such a great and huge impact on society, as it really showcases what women can do, and how our history is not only interesting, but important as it shapes our culture.
Sticking to historical accuracy whilst adding a twist, the show is perfect for historians and musical lovers.
The new west end cast is phenomenal, and I strongly encourage you to give it a watch!
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By Grace Wells
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