If you thought history class was boring, Six the Musical is here to change your mind. Created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, this high-energy musical returns to Australia and will be at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from July 24.
In this foot-tapping show, the six wives of King Henry VIII are reimagined as modern-day pop stars out to reclaim their stories. One by one, Catherine of Aragon (Sarah Murr), Anne Boleyn (Mia Paris Scalise), Jane Seymour (Cara Bessey), Anna of Cleves (Kadesa Honeyhill), Katherine Howard (Angela Brischetto) and Catherine Parr (Lorinda May Merrypor) take the mic, wowing you with their power ballads and rock anthems.
Since its breakout debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, the show has become a global sensation thanks to its infectious songs, sharp wit and empowering message. It’s making a triumphant return to Australia, so get ready to say “Yasss Queen”.
For more info and to secure your tickets, head to the website.
Read on for our five-star review of Six the Musical from 2024.
***
Divorced, beheaded… live? This unconventional pop rock musical takes a dry historical topic and turns it into a rowdy 80-minute concert to rival the Spice Girls themselves. Everyone knows that King Henry VIII had not four, not five, but six wives – enough to require a mnemonic technique to keep track. History has reduced the legacies of these ladies to little more than singular words in a rhyme detailing their fearsome fates, but what if we carved out space to remember them as real, three-dimensional women?
Six the Musical takes on this noble task by embracing a far-fetched premise: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr have formed a royally red-hot girl band and they’re fighting over who should reign supreme as the lead singer. In a play on the present-day concept of the ‘oppression Olympics’, each queen takes centre stage for a solo song to explain why she had it the worst. On paper, it sounds bizarre, but in the Comedy Theatre, the feminism-tinted pop bangers have the audience whooping and hollering on a school night.
Once you’ve achieved the appropriate level of suspension of disbelief, these yassified queens with their up-to-date dating app references and punchy historical facts are apt to take you on a fast-paced journey through Henry VIII’s missteps, misdeeds and tendency to revert his Mrs to Miss. The unusual concert format, onstage band and swift 80-minute runtime (how refreshing to see a musical unafraid to keep things short and sweet) make for an engaging journey where each queen has her moment to shine.
And shine they do. Kimberley Hodgson kicks things off with a bang as Catherine of Aragon, Deirdre Khoo brings subtle cheekiness to Anne Boleyn and Loren Hunter is poised as Jane Seymour. Zelia Rose Kitoko’s badass moves as Anna of Cleeves have the audience getting down, Chelsea Dawson is powerful yet heartbreaking as Katherine Howard and Giorgia Kennedy is vocally astounding as Catherine Parr. Each queen has her own strengths as a performer, with a couple leaving room to add even more punch as the season continues. However, when they come together as an ensemble, they’re unstoppable.
Gabriella Slade’s vibrant costumes mix bold royal elements with touches of girlie pop flair, with each outfit customised to reflect the queens’ personas. The mic holders on each queen’s belt are a clever touch that turns up the girl band campiness. Likewise, Emma Bailey’s set sparkles, at times reflecting and refracting the horror of these women’s stories.
Is Six breaking new ground in feminist discourse? Absolutely not. But as Cleeves yells “ladies get in reformation”, this musical draws in people looking for a fun night out (tick) and delivers some major food for thought (double tick). In a particular way, it seems to occupy the same cultural space as the Barbie movie. The feminism might be rudimentary, but the whole thing slay boots the house down so hard that it’s become a global phenomenon. And bringing thousands of people through the door to focus on women’s stories can only be a good thing, right?
Stay in the loop: sign up for our free Time Out Melbourne newsletter for the best of the city, straight to your inbox.
