'SIX The Musical' is bringing history buffs, musical theatre tragics and pop lovers together in an all-singing, all-dancing Tudor history remix.
Get ready to get down as the six wives of Henry VIII reclaim their crowns and take to the stage. Remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak, these spirited queens retell their story, their way, in a high-energy 75-minute history lesson that we all wish we could have had in high school! Think 'Hamilton' meets Spice Girls with the competition vibes of 'Australian Idol' – 'SIX The Musical' is the story of the six wives of Henry VIII, but not as you know it.
The simplistic one-set show is conceptualised as a rock concert with the wives reimagined as a girl group bickering over who will get to be lead singer. It’s decided that whoever suffered the most at the hands of their mutual ex should take the crown, as it were, and so the six compete with their tales of woe, told as irresistibly catchy, instantly familiar bangers.
As the show unfolds, you get to know each of the queens and their stories, preparing you for post-show conversations about which was the best queen. Catherine of Aragon (Phoenix Jackson Mendoza) set the high standard of performance energy as she took the stage with Beyonce-esque riffs, telling her tale of putting up with Henry the longest and then being packed off to a nunnery. Anne “mother of Elizabeth” Boleyn (Kala Gare) performed 'Don’t Lose Ur Head' with devilish humour, addressing the crossover between herself and Catherine, and a somewhat historical remix of how Henry wed and behead her. In a welcomed change of pace, Jane Seymour (Loren Hunter) tugged at our heart strings in an Adele-style power ballad 'Heart Of Stone', her voice truly reaching notes similar to that which we’ve seen in 'Wicked', as she claimed her position as the love of Henry’s life. As quickly as it slowed down, German queen Anne of Cleves (Kiana Daniele) brought us right back up to pace with her feisty, fluro-tinged hip hop number, 'Get Down', making hilarious light of the fact that Henry quickly divorced her after he realised she didn’t look like her ‘profile picture’. Teen bride Katherine Howard (Chelsea Dawson) unleashed deceptively powerful vocals in her pretty-in-pink bubble gum pop of 'All You Wanna Do', not shying away about the abuse she experienced before her beheading. Survivor and dark horse Catherine Parr (Vidya Makan) finished off the performances with all the soul of Alicia Keys in 'I Don’t Need Your Love' before introducing an empowering twist to the end of the show.
Flawless is the only way to describe the performances of Mendoza, Gare, Hunter, Daniele, Dawson and Makan. The six of them truly have made their mark as some of the strongest performers in Australian theatre at the moment, with impeccable vocals, perfect harmonies, astonishing choreography, and seamless transitions between scenes, songs, and singers. Not a single beat, word, note or move was missed for the entirety of the show, completely mesmerising the audience from start to finish. Of course, that is also a huge nod to music director Claire Healy, and Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s razor-sharp choreography, as well as Australian associate director Sharon Millerchip, who makes well-judged use of cheeky Aussie humour for the Australian audience. Costume designer Gabriella Slade delivered some of the most intricate, yet elaborate costumes we’ve seen on the Playhouse Stage, with each skirt flick and diamante sparkle adding to the all-enthralling performance of the girls.
And to complete the rock concert, the Ladies in Waiting accompanied the six queens for the entirety of the performance, with Claire Healy on keys, Kathryn Stammers on drums, Debbie Yap on guitar, and Jessica Dunn on bass. The stamina between the ten women on stage meant that there was not a single beat missed, as continuous dialogue and song bounced between them all immaculately. The queens constantly interacted with the band, conveying the most amount of fun you’ll ever see between performers, and encompassing them in the story as if they were characters in the historical remix themselves.
'SIX The Musical' is an unmissable performance, and is perfect for theatre-goers and musical newcomers alike. Its fast-paced dialogue means you’ll get a brief ‘Sparknotes’ recap of the Tudor history you’ve probably forgotten by now so you’ll be up to speed with who the queens are and why you need to know them in no time – no homework is necessary!
