Six: Henry VIII’s fabulous queens will rule the West End for years to come
Homegrown “her-story” hit Six the musical, dreamed up by Cambridge students Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss in 2017, is now a world-conquering smash, with productions springing up everywhere from Broadway to Germany, Australia and South Korea. But this successful export is still just as pleasurable a watch at London’s Vaudeville Theatre, where rapturous audiences cheer and whoop its dynamic reclamation of women’s stories.
Styled like a pop concert, the super-slick 80-minute Six musical is laudably concise – many bloated shows could learn from its focus. Each cast member takes a turn in the spotlight, as the competing six wives of Henry VIII make their case for having had it the worst, but the tightly drilled sextet also act as backing singers for one another.
Add in a rocking four-piece band, and it’s an unusually intimate company – but one that makes a huge impact. That’s partly thanks to the performers’ outsize personalities. A new set of queens is now reigning supreme in the Six London production, and this show doesn’t just allow for their individual interpretations, it actively thrives on them.
Th?o Therese Nguy?n is the irresistible scene-stealer of the current cast. Playing the snarky Anne Boleyn (based on Lily Allen and Kate Nash; each queen has a musical diva inspiration), Nguy?n turns her into a live-action cartoon: eyes wide and lips pouting like Betty Boop, with a “hee-hee” giggle and an effective mock-naiveté.
Excellent too is the company’s dance captain and alternate Gabriella Stylianou, who I saw confidently inhabit the teeth-gritted, tried-beyond-endurance Catherine of Aragon. It’s an oddly relatable female stance, even if the behaviour she’s describing is being shipped over to England to marry a prince who then dies – “so naturally I’m imprisoned for seven years.” Stylianou builds from a measured vocal delivery to furious Beyoncé-esque riffs.
Not all of the Six the musical songs are bangers. As Jane Seymour, Kayleigh McKnight invests her confessional ballad with real feeling and spine-tingling high notes. But the number that’s grown most in resonance belongs to the Britney Spears figure, Katherine Howard, who was constantly abused by older men. In this #MeToo tale, Inez Budd viscerally conveys her sickening sense of violation.
Reca Oakley is a blast as Anne of Cleves, whose divorce left her wealthy and independent. Oakley “gets down” with flirtatious body rolls and drops (the slinky choreography is by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille). All of the cast perform in their natural accents, and the American Oakley brings a distinctive attitude. So too does the soulful Janiq Charles, who invests Catherine Parr with her own Trinidadian/British voice. It adds another layer to her outsider stance: she’s the one to point out that comparing traumas isn’t exactly healthy – leading to the show’s girl-power twist.
Moss and Jamie Armitage’s infectiously fun production is packed with witty touches that make history, and theatre, easily accessible. For example, the raucous Haus of Holbein number, a burst of neon electronica, compares the flattering portrait painter to profile pictures on Tinder. A heart-warming, air-punching finale has everyone up on their feet; no wonder Six the musical tickets are still in high demand. I expect these queens to rule the West End for years to come.
Currently booking until Nov 3, 2024.
Book ticketsvia Telegraph tickets
