I have been immensely fortunate when it comes to exposure to
musical theatre and live-stage performances. When I was younger, my aunt used
to purchase tickets for myself, my younger sister and my mother to see shows on
the West End, some of which, I still have the programs for now. I remember the
first West End show I went to was Hairspray when I was around eleven or twelve
years old. We got to stage door after the performance and the programs we
bought were covered with signatures from cast members that were delighted that
we had enjoyed the show. The last time I went on one of those trips was when I
was sixteen. I had seen Wicked with my family and not everyone had enjoyed the
performance as much as I had. But I was still much too young to go to the
theatre alone. However, my love for musical theatre in particular didn’t cease.
It was only recently, in October of 2018, that I went to
another West End performance, where I saw Heather’s on tour with two of my
friends, just weeks after I’d managed to purchase Hamilton tickets for myself
and my mother in the new year. It was then that I realised I had happened
across an expensive habit. Since then, I have made many more trips to see shows
in London; Hamilton (twice), Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Harry Potter and
The Cursed Child, The Great Gatsby, and Dear Evan Hansen.
I figured that, I would share some anecdotes about my
experiences, because, honestly, I just love to share and remember the fun I had!
SO, Six!
Six The Musical is a pop musical that tells the story of
Henry VIII’s six wives: Catherine of Aragon, Ann Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves,
Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr. It provides a modernised and easy to
access platform for history.
The musical itself is the equivalent of one act in length
and runs without an intermission in an easy to follow manner. All of the songs
are catchy and have a lot of character to them – that way the audience can
access the story and build upon their pre-existing knowledge. Each song in the
show provides context about the wives and the breakdown of their relationships
with Henry VIII.
The staging is effective – with a small stage that the six
actresses filled and elevated spaces for the musicians that perform alongside
the cast. The lack of a background set means the eyes of the audience are
caught and captured by the performance and can’t stray form the cast.
My personal favourite aspect of Six is the costuming
department and how they incorporate aspects of the historical dress in the
Queen’s costumes, while each are still presented as modern. They each wear high
heeled shoes and wear corresponding outfits that make them resemble a girl-band.
There are nods to their original portraits from the Tudor times in their
costumes – from Ann Boleyn’s top and skirt combo being a glittery green tartan,
a nod to her green sleeves, to the addition of glittery skeleton frames of
puffed up sleeves, corsets and petticoats. These Queens would not go amiss in
the sales industry.
I loved getting to see Six, I found the entire experience
really empowering, the stress of needing a man’s love to be amazing and the
emphasis that Henry VIII is only remembered because he had six wives, so they
seemed to elevate him more than he did them. The show ends on a high note,
declaring how important unity, solidarity, and supporting one another. It
really is an immersive, electric, almost concert-like experience. I look
forward to seeing the show on tour.
Six The Musical is playing at The Arts Theatre and tickets
are available to purchase until January 2021.
Thank you so much for reading! I really hope you give this show a go! It really was amazing!
And remember:
Per Ardua Ad Astra!
- Imogen. L. Smiley
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