Review by Bronwyn Cook
5 stars (although I wish it could be six for SIX)
Stop me if you’ve heard it…Divorced, Beheaded, Died, Divorced, Beheaded, Survived.
Whilst it may be a simple rhyme many of us learned in school to remember the six wives of Henry VIII, it’s also the story backbone of the global phenomenon SIX the Musical.
What started in 2017 as a Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society musical presentation for the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss created a show that has now been seen by over 3.5 million people, won 35 major international awards and has an incredible one BILLION soundtrack streams.
Not to mention the global staging and tours, covering the West End, Broadway, UK and US tours, multiple cruise line and international productions in Canada and South Korea.
And now, following on from a pre-covid, truncated Australian premiere in 2020, a hugely successful 2021–2023 Australian tour, the SIX Queens are back to tell their story once again.
Before I go much further in this review I will be honest, I’m an absolute NUT for this era in herstory (that will make sense soon if it doesn’t already). My bookshelves are lined with Philippa Gregory and Alison Weir novels, I’ll watch anything Henry VIII/Elizabeth I related especially if it’s presented by David Starkey or Lucy Worsley and I’ve watched “The Tudors” more times than I can remember. I’ve also seen the show several times over the past few years, both here and in New York.
So I come to this review with a deep love and appreciation for the story, show, creators, cast, producers, musicians, crew and what it means to millions of SIX fans around the world aka the “Queendom”. (Small diversion, if you want an example of the power this musical has, I recommend this video).
The premise of SIX is simple. Everyone knows that Henry VIII had six wives and what happened to them, but do they know the actual story of the women behind the rhyme? What was their past? How did they come to be a wife? What happened whilst they were married?
Often when I mention to people that this musical exists, they presume it’s more like a Shakespere play set to music, with period accurate costumes and settings. When I tell them – think more modern pop concert with songs in the style of Beyonce, Avril Lavigne, Adele, Rihanna and Britney Spears, with a funky on-stage band, more modern references than you could poke a lance at, the most glorious bedazzled costumes, encouraged audience interaction and the most positive empowerment messages about staying strong and true to yourself and finding your voice you’ll ever hear – then lets just say, the next question inevitably is “when can we see it?”
What Marlow and Moss were able to do to bring these six stories to life still astounds me to this day. Yes, they are true to who these women were – as much as history enables us to know anyway – but their perspective and storytelling adds so much more depth and understanding.
Catherine of Aragon – the first wife. Married initially to Henry’s brother, the spanish princess, married the longest (24 years), mother of Queen Mary and who fought to the very end with a steadfast determination to fulfill what she believed was her divine right – Queen of England.
Anne Boleyn – the second wife, and perhaps the most famous. Henry’s desire to marry Anne caused the split of England from Rome and the Catholic church and the establishment of the Church of England. The mother of Queen Elizabeth I, was Anne the tempress that history paints her as or simply (like so many girls and women of her time) a political pawn moved into the palace by the men in her family.
Jane Seymour – the third wife, mainly known for what she accomplished that no other wife did – successfully gave birth to a boy, and heir, that lived. Considered a calming balm after the turmoil of the end of his first marriage and the drama of his second, many believe she was the most beloved wife.
Anne of Cleves – the fourth wife, and probably the smartest. When she realised that her marriage to Henry was not going to end well, she acquiesced to all of his requests and in doing so, probably led the happiest post-divorce life a woman could at the time.
Catherine Howard – the fifth wife, a mere teenager who was most certainly put in Henry’s path by men with political power in mind, above her suitability for marriage. Whether she knew better or not, her very unQueen like behaviour led to her demise.
Catherine Parr – the last wife, the survivor. Married twice before and in love with another man (one of Jane Seymour’s brothers), she was Henry’s oldest wife at time of marriage but was by no means a traditional woman of her time. She was an author, advocate for all of Henry’s children and intellectual equal for Henry.
What SIX does – in the telling of their individual stories in a mock ‘who is the most popular wife’ competition on their ‘Divorced, Beheaded, Live’ tour, concluding with a chance to show us what their lives would have been like if they hadn’t met their ultimate fate – is it gives the queens get to rewrite their history into HERstory (see I told you it would make sense in the end). All in a fast-paced, jam-packed, high-octane, gloriously-delightful 80 minutes.
Putting on their crowns and bringing the six wives to the stage this production are (in queen order): Kimberly Hodgson (West Side Story, Miss Saigon), Deirdre Khoo (The Rocky Horror Show, ONCE), Loren Hunter (SIX, RENT), Zelia Rose Kitoko (Hamilton, Natasha), Chelsea Dawson (SIX, MAMMA MIA! The Musical) and Giorgia Kennedy (& Juliet, Jagged Little Pill).
Hodgson is muy bien as the feisty first wife, delivering Catherine of Aragon’s story confidently and with flair through a catchy, rhythmic, latin beat. As the sassy, selfie loving Anne Boylen, Khoo delightfully leans into the humorous double entendre jokes of “Sorry, Not Sorry”.
Hunter, who originated the role of Jane Seymour in Australia, continues to impress with her ability to be loving, vulnerable but have a “Heart of Stone” at the same time. Her solo remains one of the most moving out of all the Queens, and lingers with you for long after.
Burlesque artist Rose has the best introduction of all the queens, as we meet her via a techno dance number “House of Holbein”, which is my favourite moment in the show. Rose brings a soleful funk vibe to Cleves, and I’m sure over time she will lean into the absolute unabashed glee of her song and character.
The other returning primary cast member, Dawson as Catherine Howard still delivers an absolute gut-punch as her song and story starts off frivolous and light, but takes a sharp, dark turn and shows how corruptible innocence can be.
Kennedy displays a vocal depth and maturity far beyond her years with the final solo song “I Don’t Need Your Love” and is the one to bring the queens together to find their independence and voice – much like the real Parr.
Also extremely worthy of a mention are the Ladies in Waiting, the show’s band adding to the woman-power as they are onstage the entire show. Music Director & Keys Claire Healy, Assistant Music Director & Keys Heidi Maguire, Kathryn Stammers on Drums, Danielle Colligan on Guitar and Ann Metry on Bass.
Every single one of the queens deserves their place on the stage, however, it would be remiss of me to say that I was disappointed not to see more size inclusivity in this cast. SIX globally is known for its casting diversity – from gender pronouns, to ethnicity, to body shape. Their casting diversity is one of the reasons the show appeals to so many – as more of the audience can see themselves reflected in the people on stage. The AU cast however this time around is missing its curvy queen.
That aside, what I’ve come to notice and adore over the years is that SIX for many youngsters is their first musical experience, given the relatability of the music, modern references and its short running time. I’ve seen generations of family at this show. I’ve seen more cosplay and fan art at this show than any other. Every time a number is performed in public at festivals like West End Live or Broadway in Bryant Park, you’ll have the entire audience knowing every single lyric and dance move. It’s an accessible show for any age and brings musicals to a demographic who perhaps wouldn’t have thought that musicals weren’t their thing.
And most of all, it’s a damn good time at the theatre. I’ve never left a performance of SIX with anything but the biggest smile on my face and joy in my heart. It’s gloriously enjoyable, riotously funny, incredibly clever and unabashedly uplifting.
It is one of a kind, no category.
They are no longer lost in history.
You leave free to take your crowning glory.
SIX the Musical will reign again at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from 2 August 2024, the Theatre Royal Sydney from 25 October 2024 and at QPAC’s Playhouse in Brisbane from 2 January 2025. For more information, visit: www.sixthemusical.com.au for details.
