A fierce, female fronted kick-ass cast took centre stage at the Lowry theatre to perform SIX, a refreshingly modern take on the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives.
Now a strongly independent girl gang transformed into the perfect pop group, SIX gave each character their own voice that was lost in the archaic past of the maniac monarch.
The show was curated by 23 year old Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. Born out of a notepad scribble by the recent graduates, it depicted the forgotten lives of the six queens in one of the most incredibly uplifting British musicals of recent years. If Nicki Minaj met Avril Lavigne, the evening was a mash up of bathroom karaoke worthy tracks that brought a different perspective to the stories that were told during GCSE history.
Each cast member had their own uniquely individual talent and vocals fit for the West End, which in fact has already been graced by this gorgeous girl gang. Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anna, Katherine and Catherine started their journey at Edinburgh Fringe in the summer of 2017 and have toured the country giving their archaic name and values a notable platform that’s fairly different to the past.
Each of the queens had their own sisterly sass which was portrayed through their elaborate performances and intelligently humorous lyrics. At one point Anne Boleyn sings: ‘I’m that Boleyn girl, and I’m up next. See, I broke England from the church, yeah I’m that sexy. Why did I lose my head? Well my sleeves may be green, but my lipstick’s red!’ The musical continues to be energetically empowering throughout with its constant feminine themes and glittering garments, and with a theatre full of young women it’s easy to see why this show is becoming a constant sell out.
A performance worthy of a spot in the Palace Theatre the mise en scene was unfortunately unworthy of such a showcase. It seemed bare, stripped back and thrown together as a last resort that didn’t catch up with the garish costumes and personalities alike. The girls could have done with a prop or two to add to their dance floor demolishing moves but their performance wasn’t disadvantaged.
A highlight of the show was the completely original soundtrack performed live alongside the singers by a full band of more wonderfully talented women giving a nod to females and their ongoing inspirational impact. The production portrayed the story as a talent show in which each of the six queens performed their own audition for the crown. Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced beheaded and now alive as the women danced through a magnificent genre maze.
Don’t think I’ve ever seen anything quite like @sixthemusical @The_Lowry It’s definitely a new generation of musical and already I want to see it again. pic.twitter.com/vrT9541AxP
— Carmel Thomason (@CarmelThomason) 4 December 2018
SIX is a box office must watch and has continued to grow in popularity during it’s relatively short time on tour. The six women and their electric energy transformed the Lowry into a stunning display of defiant diva-ness but managed to keep the sophisticated stories of the corset clad queens relevant. It was an evening that turned history into her-story and celebrated the lives of the six women, bringing them out from behind their husband and the terror that was endured during their gruesome marriages. Catch the play at the Lowry theatre 4-16 December.
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