Whether from history lessons at school or Horrible Histories, we’ve all heard about Henry VIII’s six wives: divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ musical Six reclaims history for these queens, giving them an imagined story of their own: divorced, beheaded, live! 500 years later, the queens form an identity separate from their status as wives: no longer women lurking in the shadows of the Tudor king, but powerful female figures with individual voices.
Six was written by Marlow and Moss with the criteria “the six wives of Henry VII, but – like – a pop group” to fill a slot at the Edinburgh Fringe and turned into a pop-music Broadway extravaganza by original producers Kenny, Wendy, Andy, and George. Now touring to Swansea Arena, hosting its first West End musical, this production of Six follows a singing contest between the six wives – who each put an historical lyric twist on well-known pop anthems with the hope of becoming the winning wife. The music is interspersed by dark-humoured bickering between the girls, and historical facts related in modern day colloquialisms.
Inspired by Beyoncé and Shakira, Spanish Princess Catherine of Aragon (Chlöe Hart) kicks off with a powerful performance of No Way. A sassy Anne Boleyn (Jennifer Caldwell) goes on to perform Don’t Lose Your Head; Jane Seymour (Casey Al-Shaqsy), supposedly “the only one he truly loved”, tones things down with a stunning performance of Heart Of Stone.
Next up is Haus Of Holbein, a comical performance by all the queens in impressive German accents: it lampoons both Henry VIII’s in-house painter, Hans Holbein, and the lengths women of the era were expected to go to in their appearance.
The solo performances continue as German duchess Anne of Cleves (Jessica Niles), renowned for essentially cat-fishing Henry VIII, stuns the audience with Get Down. The 17-year-old queen Katherine Howard (Rebecca Wickes) warns audiences: “Lock up your husbands, lock up your sons, K-Howard is here, and the fun’s begun” ahead of her Ariana Grande-esque take of All You Wanna Do.
Ahead of her turn, reformation queen, writer, and education advocate Catherine Parr (Alana M Robinson) reminds the group about the values of sisterhood, encouraging them to uplift each other rather than competition. Known as the surviving wife who had almost as many husbands as Henry VIII had wives, Parr ends the competition with an incredible vocal performance of I Don’t Need Your Love.
Six’s creative and technical teams certainly know how to put on a show, turning traditional royal aesthetics into the glitz and glamour of a smash-hit musical. The jewelled, swanky but sexy costumes are second to none. The audience is invited to join in on the last number, closing the show with electric energy. Met by a standing ovation and cheers throughout, it seems this is fast becoming a must-see musical.
Six, Swansea Arena, Tue 18 Oct
On until Sat 22 Oct. Tickets: £13-£75. Info: here
words EVE DAVIES
