Written by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss

Directed by Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage

Review by Dominic Corr

The Festival Theatre

History is almost universally documented by men, which might explain why so many of us glazed over during school lessons on the Tudors. Yet, by thrusting six women previously defined solely by their relationship to a gout-ridden brute of a king into the blinding spotlight of a modern pop concert, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss’s SIX The Musical ensures we are finally paying attention. Born as a production at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, this eighty-minute theatrical juggernaut has morphed into a global sensation, proving that its clever blend of educational substance and pop spectacle possesses a cultural force far beyond mere novelty. They may have been divorced, beheaded and died, but on stage, they thrive.

The premise operates like an iconic nineties girl group returning from the grave to battle for lead-singer supremacy, with the ultimate prize going to whichever queen has suffered the most historical trauma. The central conceit cheekily demands the audience pick a favourite: which of these monarchs truly deserves to step out of their infamous ex-husband’s shadow to front the group? Will you champion the alluring Anne Boleyn – mother to a future legendary queen – or does the OG matriarch, Catherine of Aragon, claim your loyalty? Perhaps you will find yourself rooting for the wives whose names have historically been unfairly relegated to the footnotes. This loose, competitive structure allows the audience to revel in the sheer joy of diva standoffs and razor-sharp one-liners. However, this competition is also the script’s most cunning trap; by encouraging us to weigh up their respective suffering, the show expertly exposes just how absurdly limiting this historical framing truly is.

The production is unashamedly a concert rather than a fully fledged, narrative-driven musical, relying heavily on handheld microphones and intermittent banter to bridge the gap between numbers. While some might argue this format lacks traditional theatrical depth and that the production’s slow-burning narrative exposition is starting to show its age, these minor grievances are easily blown away by the sheer velocity of the performance. Visually, Emma Bailey’s self-contained set design remains a sturdy, practical backdrop, allowing Tim Deiling’s stadium-style lighting to transform the space from brooding to euphoric with precision. It is Gabriella Slade’s striking, sequin-studded costumes, however, that do the real heavy lifting, brilliantly colliding Tudor silhouettes with spiked, contemporary glam. Iconic now, a staple of Musical Theatre visuals, they deserve the spotlight and the fandom they have generated.

This defiant visual remixing is perfectly mirrored by the diverse musical genres on display. From Hannah Victoria’s vibrant, Teutonic techno as Anna of Cleves to Laura Dawkes’ breathtakingly still power ballad as Jane Seymour, every queen possesses a distinct identity. Another fan-favourite, though, is Izi Maxwell channels cheeky irreverence as Anne Boleyn, while Lizzie Emery’s ‘All You Wanna Do’ brutally lures the audience in with a raunchy club beat before shifting into a tormenting, deeply affecting exploration of exploitation. It continues to be the production hardest hit – its crux moment where the production shifts from making a point to piercing a patriarchy and trauma. From the moment Emery takes the mic, SIX is a superb five-star masterpiece of storytelling and music. To pick a favourite is like selecting a favourite child, or, tougher, a favourite Muppet. And in SIX, there’s no choice to be made: all of them are deserving of a crown, and a chapter in a history book; Madison Swan and Eloise Lord bookend the production as the OG Catherine of Aragon and the closing Catherine Parr with fervour and fire.

Backed by the ferocious ‘Ladies in Waiting’ onstage band, the cast delivers crisp, powerful vocals and executes Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s punchy choreography with unified flair. Fast, wildly funny, and unapologetically empowering, SIX rewrites the history books with neon ink and attitude. It is an immediate, joyous rush of entertainment that shows how patriarchal deconstruction and women’s agency can be as playful as they are pointed, ensuring these remarkable women will be remembered for far more than a single nursery rhyme. Roll up your green sleeves, and get ready to be a part of Herstory.

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