“Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived.” – OK, this is interesting…
Who doesn’t LOVE an action packed musical / history lesson with no interval where you can get to the pub by 9.30pm? I’m in heaven before I even walk in.
SIX is a deliberately uplifting & epic, familiar, but still a beautifully polished new piece of new British musical theatre currently playing at the Arts Theatre prior to a UK TOUR.
This show is clever, wordy, lol funny, beautifully polished and staged & created for ‘today’s’ modern theatre goer. It’s relevant. Think Hamilton meets We Will Rock You with a touch of Spice Girls the movie silliness and sass. This show has 5* talent and energy.
With X-factor style sensational lighting, this all female company create an immersive but recognizable sound and look of Little Mix meets Cheryl, Britney, Adele & Madge on tour….(although this cast could sing all of the above under the table).
This show isn’t for everyone (explained below) but what it does, it does magnificently. The vocals and moves are astounding in places.
SIX is a rare new hit that deserves its place at the heart of the West End and on tour in 2019.
Enjoy our exclusive HD Video YouTube Review:
The sound-track is storming up the UK pop charts after viral buzz and a sellout Edinburgh run. This is unsurprising as every song could easily get Capital FM airplay. The formulaic score is beautifully crafted to create a diverse but power set of hits.
From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to individually tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a 75-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. These Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red.
Despite the six girls being at war in character they work seamlessly to make this show powerfully and punchy as a team. Vocally they all shine…and are given their moment to captivate the audience individually.
Here’s the thing though…
Despite this being relevant for me, I think I should make it clear that this is not a ‘traditional’ musical and it won’t be to everyone’s taste.
It’s noisy, fast paced and wordy! It’s clever. This therefore is not Wicked or the Lion King where you can just sit back and look at the spectacle. If you invest in this story – you’ll get rewarded bigtime. If you’re not into ‘current’ music, I’d probably give it a miss.
Tonight’s sassy six…
All of the girls are completely unique and different…but blend magically on stage.
Grace Mouat was a formidable Aragon channeling her inner Beyonce with a touch of Whitney. Gorgeous tone.
Millie o’Connell as Boleyn gave an equally as powerful performance. Her comic timing and asides was just as impressive as her vocals.
Natalie Paris arguably has the killer 11 O’clock number and takes the roof off. Such presence. Such a massive voice, superbly controlled – and instantly lovable from the moment she walked on stage.
Vicki Manser as Cleeves (above) was possibly my favourite character. Her defiance, personality and funny jumped off the stage. She’d make an amazing Scaramouche in WWRY!
Aimie Atkinson as Howard delivered another powerful performance and probably the best dance number in the show. Think Cheryl moves meets Jessie J vocals – well impressive!
Maiya Quransah-Breed as Parr brought some pathos to this mostly uplifting musical. She’s flawless with Alisha Keys riffs. She couldn’t be more relevant in 2019 and she’s nailed this type of performance.
I loved SIX purely because of the pure talent and precision of the cast.
Their drive, comic timing, energy and choreography intentionally steals the show. The sound and bass line is brilliant.
The lighting is quite remarkable and drives the show and takes this from a cabaret sing-a-long to a West End production.
I’ll be curious to see how this tours in the UK as it doesn’t have an interval – that’s tricky for a touring show in terms of pricing.
For me this show is a dream – a killer no filler. I approve of this infectious feel-good spirit.
More shows like this please! The finale is a hoot.
Review by Alex Belfield for Celebrity Radio 26th June 2019.
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