Aragon. Boleyn. Seymour. Cleves.
Howard. Parr. Random names maybe? But when you put the name Henry VIII to them,
it all becomes clear. They are the
famous six wives of history. Several attempts have been made in musical theatre
to tell their story but here perhaps is the one that will propel these long
dead maidens to West End star glory.
Composers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss have managed to tap into the thirst
for telling history in a modern style that made Hamilton a phenomenon. They
have made the SIX into a girl band, they are
the Spice Girls via Destiny’s Child and many more. These women are stepping out of Henry’s
shadow and not exactly re-writing history but filling in the gaps to show they
were a force in their own right. History becomes Herstory.
On a stage occupied by
the band, the Ladies in Waiting, a four piece combo (and a lot of sequencing)
add the big sound to allow the Queens to present their stories. The ex-wives introduce themselves as if
playing the Wembley Stadium, there is
even a techno burst of Greensleeves to remind us we are now at the Tudor
court. Its a high octane beginning and
things are not going to slow down as the Six quickly get very competitive. They compete to be lead singer via their
experiences with Henry, the one he shat on most is going to be the winner.
(That’s not literally by the way).
First up is Catherine
of Aragon.
A Spanish princess who stands as the very first woman ambassador in
European history. Jameia Richard-Noel is
the first of the incredible six to deliver some vocal chops. No Way is her response to Henry’s decision to try and
have the marriage annulled after failing to produce a male heir.
Catherine’s lady-in-waiting Anne Boleyn is
added to the mix, a full on minx in the
form of Millie O’Connell in a green dress. “Sorry not sorry about what I said,
I just want to have some fun. Don’t worry, don’t worry don’t lose ur head, I
didn’t mean to hurt anyone. LOL, say oh well, go to hell...” She is having a good time, and happily
snatches away Henry from her mistress to become the second Queen.
But what goes
around comes around because Anne’s own lady-in-waiting Jane Seymour (no not Doctor Quinn Medicine Woman) has caught
Henry’s eye. He needs to find a way of getting rid of Anne in order to marry
Jane, so he has Anne beheaded for high treason on a lot of trumped up
charges. Jane is apparently the one
Henry truly loved and died after childbirth,
but out of this tragedy she gets an Adele-esque big ballad Heart Of Stone allowing Natalie Paris
some big notes to display a mighty vocal dexterity.
But if we shed a tear at Seymour’s sudden
passing, we are back with a smile on our
faces as Anna of Cleves, a German duchess, arrives on the scene. Alexia Mcintosh commands the stage during the
ensemble number Haus Of Holbein, part
German Oompah folk song, part rave anthem.
Anna was painted by Holbein and her portrait presented to Henry as a
possible future wife. He liked what he
saw, but having set preperations in place for marrying her found that the real
life Anna was nothing like her portrait and the marriage was quickly
annulled, and a generous settlement
arranged. Anna lived a life of luxury
and had a lot of fun ;-) Alexia gets sassy and beguiles the audience during Get Down, and rightly receives an ovation for her
performance.
By now Henry has got his
fingers into another pie – Catherine Howard.
A true beauty who knew how to use her sexuality from an early age
according to her song, a Britney Spears-style stomper All You Wanna Do which Aimie Atkinson delivers with great attitude. However Howard strayed from the Royal husband
and he used these indiscretions to execute her.
And so to Catherine Parr, the final wife. She outlived Henry and was treated as a Queen
until she died in childbirth to her fourth husband Thomas Seymour one year
later. It is down to Maiya Quansah-Breed to sing for the six, I Don’t Need Your Love is her mantra, it
is an empowering song and a fitting end to the stories of the Six. She is the survivor and brings them together
for a unified end to the show.
At 75 minutes long
without an interval, SIX is the perfect length. The momentum builds with each addition to
Henry’s catalogue of marriages. Just as
Aragon/Boleyn/Seymour/Cleves/Howard/Parr have gone down in history, we must
stand and applaud their 21st century incarnations. Richard-Noel/O’Connell/Paris/McIntosh/Atkinson/Quansah-Breed
who all deliver comedy, pathos and impressive vocals throughout the show. The staging is simple but effective, Gabriella Slade’s marvellously surreal
costumes, combining with Tim Deiling’s lighting to create the perfect
atmosphere for these songs of struggle in a male dominated world. Directors Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage join forces with choreographer Carrie-Anne Ingrouille to make sure the energy levels never dip. We come out surprisingly far more enlightened about the six wives than the sheer joy of the show would seemingly allow.
SIX is fun, its
educational, its entertaining and its the best night out you’ll have for some
time. Thankfully SIX is heading back to London and out on tour again in 2019. Invariably sold out well in advance, I wouldn't of course advocate beheading someone for their ticket, but you know, if needs must...
Details of tour dates and more about the show can be found at the official website
