You should know the premise by now – divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived all set to a fiery, feminist live band. Henry VIII’s six ex-wives reclaim their stories and their thrones in the worldwide sensation that is Six the Musical.
This is the fourth time in (wouldn’t you know it) six years that the queens have graced Sydney stages, the second at the Theatre Royal. So has Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’ Tony- and Grammy-nominated electrifying pop-concert hit lost some of its glam?
The short answer is “No Way”.
What is the plot of Six?
What started as an Edinburgh Fringe hit went on to capture the hearts of the West End, Broadway, and beyond. At its core, Six retains those fringey roots in its tight 80-minute, one-set, one-act pop-concert musical in what is a song-cycle of the Tudor Queens turned Pop Princesses who remix five hundred years of history to win their crowns. Who had it the worst under Henry’s reign? Who deserves the most sympathy? And is it all about his-story or is it time for a bit of herstory?
The beauty of Six is that it’s a star vehicle for female and gender diverse talents. Thankfully, the creative team have offered up six of the best to fangirl over, from young veterans of the stage through to mainstage debuts: Sarah Murr as Catherine of Aragon, Mia Paris Scalise as Anne Boleyn, Cara Bessey as Jane Seymour, Kadesa Honeyhill as Anna of Cleves, Angela Brischetto as Katherine Howard, and Lorinda May Merrypor as Catherine Parr.
Alongside them are the mega-talented Six swings who are ready to step in for any of the queens at a moment’s notice, Lauren Goetz, Geena Hutton, and returning cast members Thalia Smith (also wearing the Dance Captain hat) and Cristina D’Agostino (doubling as associate choreographer and assistant to the director).
What are the highlights of Six?
Gabriella Slade’s decadent rhinestone-accented costumes are once again phenomenal as they dazzle, pop, and glitter under Tim Deiling’s concert-like lighting design. Paul Gatehouse’s sound design ensures the bass is banging and you feel the harmonies of the queens in your very soul backed up by the rocking live band on stage (AKA the Ladies in Waiting).
Six is one of those productions you’re encouraged to cheer, scream, and get involved with. Don’t sit back and relax, Sydney. The more you give, the more you’ll get from this.
Every audience member who sees Six will undoubtedly have their favourite queen. How could you not when we have such a smorgasbord of talent on display?
Whether it’s Murr’s riffing vocals that come physically alive in the ether, Honeyhill’s badass ability to just ooze swagger and charm, Brischetto’s full-bodied belt that knocks you back into your seat, the Lily Allen-esque flirtations in Scalise’s physicality, or the emanating warmth that feels naturally at home from Bessey.
Swinging into the role for this performance was New Zealand performer Geena Hutton who strongly rounded out the six queens as Parr – now I need to go back to see her rendition of every other queen!
Why is Six a four-star production?
It was only a short time ago that Six graced us in Sydney, so to have the queens return once more felt like a bit of déjà vu. As such, I couldn’t help but feel the sugary quality of it. It’s a sweet treat most definitely, but did I need it again so quickly? Much like my addiction to Whittaker’s chocolate, my brain is telling me no…but the rest of my senses are screaming that it tastes so good.
Who will like Six?
Six is for those who want the musical theatre concert experience. Why go all the way out to Homebush when you have Six right in town? Break the rules on this one and get yourself involved but please just don’t sing along – that’s for the queens to do.
If you’ve seen Six before in any of its iterations, go and see it for the whole new cast and the bangers which always land smoothly on the ear. If you’ve not seen Six before, then this is your sign to book yourself a ticket today.
Book your tickets to Six the Musical here.
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