SIX, the feminist pop musical written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, which has taken the world by storm, has reopened at the Vaudeville Theatre. SIX focuses on the wives of King Henry VIII, Catherine, Anne, Jane, Anne, Katherine and Catherine giving them the mic to tell their stories as a powerful girl group. The six women sing their hearts out about their shared experience being married to the monarch, arguing who had the worst time in a pop princess-inspired musical contest.
Dressed in glittering Tudor-style outfits, each queen had their own opportunity to shine with solos inspired by modern musical stars and shine they certainly did. From emotional power ballads to head-bopping R&B tracks, SIX masterfully conquers a plethora of genres whilst re-imagining history in a fresh and enjoyable way.
Collette Guitart was utterly glorious subbing as Catherine of Aragon (a mix of Beyonce and Shakira), her explosive vocals and spectacular dancing in “No Way” truly set the tone for the rest of the show. Bryony Duncan was equally as impressive covering Anne Boleyn, delivering the perfect amount of wit and charm, her solo “Don’t Lose Ur Head” was ridiculously catchy. Natalie Paris played Jane Seymour (inspired by Adele and Sia), her gut-wrenching solo “Heart of Stone” was a real tear-jerker. Cherelle Jay had incredible stage presence as Anne of Cleves whilst Zara MacIntosh was dark and sultry as Katherine Howard. Danielle Steers as Catherine Parr truly triumphed in “I Don’t Need Your Love” with her stunning vocals.
Despite the show being 80 minutes long with no interval, each queen was engaging, hilarious and confident, giving real girl band energy throughout. Seeing an all-female company including the talented band perfectly fits with the female empowerment message. The diversity compared to the average West End show was also great to see, each queen was unique and packed in plenty of personality whilst uniting to tell this incredible story.
SIX is an inspired celebration of sisterhood, fun-filled and heartfelt, the show’s proto-feminist message is sure to stay with you (as well as the memorable music) long after the 80-minute performance is over.
SIX continues at the Vaudeville Theatre, booking until 1st May 2022 https://thevaudevilletheatre.co.uk/tickets/six/
Reviewed by: Gemma Prince
Reviewed: 2nd November 2021
North West End UK Rating: ★★★★★