I have been desperate to see Six the Musical live for years. I have the entire show memorized from the number of times I’ve listened to the soundtrack since its release – and yet I’ve never gotten around to booking a ticket to the show.
I even discovered Six before it had ever been performed – I used to work in the bar at Cambridge University’s student theatre, the ADC. One night there was an open mic night at the bar while I was working, and I remember hearing a couple of songs that were so good I later asked what they were.
I was told they were a couple of songs written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss – both students at the time – who took a show about Henry VIII’s six wives up to Edinburgh that summer. I thought it was cool but eventually forgot about it, until the musical completely blew up.
And while it has taken me about seven years to finally watch the show, I can understand why it has taken audiences around the world by storm. Six the Musical has toured the UK and is also performing on Broadway in New York.
The reason why is clear – the show is a party from start to finish. It’s smart, funny, catchy, sparkling and a lot of fun. The premise is simple – Henry VIII’s six wives compete with each other to prove who had the worst of their husbands.
Each queen has her own song, ranging from pop to power ballads, with three group numbers guaranteed to bring down the house in every performance. The songs are catchy and make you want to get up and dance right away, which together with the energy of the six artists is a winning combination.
The queens all have handheld microphones, which combined with the high volume and the band members on stage create a gig-like atmosphere that invites you to want to get up and sing along. The queens all wear stunning costumes – thick black boots, lots of rhinestones and symbolic spiky accessories to show that these girls are the owners of their own story.
The show is also impressively simple in how it’s put together – nine songs, minimal staging, and yet it’s some of the most fun I’ve had at the theater in years. I highly recommend getting a ticket to see the show – at just an hour and a half it’s not too long and you’ll come out beaming from ear to ear.
Do you have a story for us? Email anna.willis@reachplc.com.
You can buy tickets for Six the Musical via ATG Tickets or London Theater Direct.
