SIX Theatre Royal: Pop masterclass and history lesson in one as award-winning musical takes to Newcastle stage
History is re-written as her-story in a foot-stamping, finger-snapping, pop-filled whirlwind of a show.
If you’re asked to picture a King of England, it’s highly likely you’ll think of Henry VIII. You may recall from school history lessons some of the radical changes brought in under his rule (the Reformation and Dissolution of the Monastries, to name but two), but almost all of us will remember his wives.
Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived. The C(K)atherines, the Annes and Jane Seymour, though not in that order.
SIX, which debuted at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017, packs A LOT into a rip-roaring 80-minute performance. It remixes the history we’ve heard to be told from the Queens’ points of view instead, with a healthy sprinkling of artistic licence atop some historical facts.
Meet the Ex-Wives
If the Queens of SIX were a touring supergroup, they would be packing out the country’s biggest arenas. The song book is beyond catchy, the choreography is slick and the vocal performances stand strong amongst some of the Top 40 right now.
Imagined by show creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss to be a glittering line-up of pop girlies in concert (but make it Tudor), the cast bring flavours of recognisable chart favourites to the stage, complete with the incredible musical power needed to fill a theatre.
While I saw SIX The Musical Live! at the cinema earlier this year and later read up about the musical inspiration for each Queen, my theatre companion came into the show with no prior knowledge and racked up a few correct guesses.
If you were told to shake up some magic from Beyonce, Adele, Rihanna and Ariana Grande (to name but a few), the sparkle of SIX is exactly what you would expect as the end result.
It’s difficult to play favourites when each of the Ex-Wives brings something different to the table. Catherine of Aragon is the OG – she has gravitas and you have to respect it; Anne Boleyn is a cheeky troublemaker; Jane Seymour is honourable and loyal; Anna (Anne) of Cleves is a strong independent Queen; Katherine Howard stands as a symbol for many other marginalised women and Catherine Parr is, quite literally, a survivor.
SIX has got all of the good stuff – pop bangers, R&B flavour, a heart-wrenching ballad (vocal brilliance from Liberty Stottor as Jane Seymour) and even an electronic number to boot. The chemistry between the six Queens is unmatched even in some of the world’s biggest music acts, who should maybe be taking notes from our royal cast.
In terms of their solo songs, it’s a toss-up between Anna of Cleves’ (played by Hannah Victoria) Get Down and Catherine Parr’s (Eloise Lord) I Don’t Need Your Love as my favourite, but every single tune is an earworm in nothing but a flattering way.
And I haven’t even mentioned the glam yet! Truly, seeing the Queens is a sensory feast for the eyes and the ears. Allow the reign of girl power to wash over the city – it’s about time!
:: SIX is at Newcastle Theatre Royal until Saturday, August 23 – the run is almost fully sold out, with just a few tickets remaining. Catch it if you can!