Divorced. Beheaded. Died. Divorced. Beheaded. Survived.
What if the six wives of Henry VIII formed a pop group? Such is the premise behind SIX the Musical, taking HIStory and providing a little HERstory with a creative twist.
I might have been the only one in the Brisbane opening night audience who had never seen SIX before (to be fair, I had tickets in 2020, but we all know how that turned out). One reviewer I spoke to was on his FIFTH time seeing the show. Such is the power and joy of SIX, and the fandom behind it, known as the Queendom.
SIX the Musical could best be described as part pop concert, part musical theatre show with a historic fiction twist. It is bursting with stunning costumes, catchy pop tunes and empowering lyrics.
Its remarkable origin story took place in the summer of 2017, when Cambridge University students Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss came together to write SIX the Musical. They had never written anything together before, let alone a full length musical. It was to be performed by the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society at Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Largely because it was cheaper for the company to stage an original musical than pay for the rights to an existing one. The season was a huge success.
Flash forward five years and SIX the Musical won two Tony Awards on Broadway for Best Original Score and Best Costume Design. It has since gone on to become a worldwide phenomenon. Premiering in Australia in 2020, the latest tour kicked off at the Comedy Theatre Melbourne in August last year.
The story of SIX sees the wives of Henry VIII reimagined as modern pop icons, playfully competing through song over who had the worst experience with the infamous king. There is Catherine of Aragon, played by Kimberly Hodgson, dressed in gold. Her signature song, ‘No Way’ gets the party started and stays in your head long after the show finishes. Each Queen is inspired by a different set of pop icons, and Aragon’s is Beyoncé and Shakira.
There is Anne Boleyn, played by Deirdre Khoo, dressed in green, and her signature song, ‘Don’t Lose Your Head,’ is hilarious. Khoo has great comic timing, with her character inspired by Lily Allen and Avril Lavigne.
There is Jane Seymour, played by Loren Hunter, part of the O.G. Australian cast. Dressed in black and white, her song, ‘Heart of Stone’ is the power ballad of the show. Seymour is inspired by Adele and Sia, and Hunter’s throaty vocals perfectly suit her character. She is also great at delivering the zingers.
There is Anna of Cleves, on opening night played by Dance Captain / Swing Chiara Assetta (also an O.G. cast member). Cleves is inspired by Nicki Minaj and Rhianna. Usually dressed in red, costume designer Gabriella Slade has made a bespoke costume for each Queen, including one for each of the four Swings. Assetta is dressed in silvery blue/black. Her solo, ‘Get Down’ is incredibly funny, and she is a remarkably versatile performer.
There is Katherine Howard, played by Chelsea Dawson, often regarded among the Queendom as the most popular. Dressed in pink with a hot pink high pony tail, her song, ‘All You Wanna Do’ is probably the catchiest solo of the bunch. Howard is inspired by Ariana Grande (hence the high pony) and Britney Spears. And finally, there is Catherine Parr, played by Giorgia Kennedy. Dressed in blue, her solo, ‘I Don’t Need Your Love,’ is powerful, and Kennedy’s vocal riffing is excellent. Parr is inspired by Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé.
As a group, the Queens excel at vocal blending and are just so much fun to watch. No one would object to the 80 minute, one-act show having some extended or new numbers added. A standout is the high energy group number ‘House of Holbein’ which features some glow in the dark accessories and seriously cool performances. Like pop singers, the Queens use hand held mics with cute built in mic holders in their skirts for hands free dancing. They also wear ear pieces known as in-ear monitors, allowing each singer a clear and direct source of sound.
Aside from the awesome Queens, it is a joy to see the all-girl, four piece backing band playing live on stage, costumed in rock-meets-Tudor style cat suits. The band, known as the Ladies in Waiting, are named after their real life counterparts. ‘Maggie’ on electric guitar aka Lady Margaret Lee who served Anne Boleyn. ‘Bessie’ on bass guitar aka Elizabeth Blount who served Anna of Cleves and Catherine of Aragon. ‘Joan’ on keys aka Joan Meutas who served Jane Seymour. And ‘Maria’ on drums aka Maria de Salinas who served Catherine of Aragon.
For the facts nerds, the band members’ real names are Claire Healy, who is both Musical Director and keys player, Kathryn Stammers, the drummer, Danielle Colligan on guitar and Ann Metry on Bass. There is also Heidi Macguire who is Assistant MD and plays keys. I just love seeing an all girl band up there alongside the all girl cast. And together they simply slay.
Set design by Ellen Bailey is incredible, reflecting a tech-pop Tudor court and evoking the imagery of 16th century England with a modern pop concert twist. A mini amphitheatre with LED lighting is embedded into the set, the design ensuring the Queens and their band equally inhabited the space. Lighting designs by Tim Deiling are outstanding and the sound design by Paul Gatehouse is phenomenal.
There was a lot of love in the house on opening night, with three of the cast being Brissie / Gold Coast natives, so it was an emotional crowd. Hot tip for influencers, have your phone ready for the finale known as The MegaSIX. Filming is encouraged, just for this segment.
SIX the Musical takes stories of heartbreak and betrayal and cleverly transforms them into a celebration of resilience, sisterhood and female empowerment. It is easy to see why this musical is loved the world over. If you are able to get a ticket to SIX the Musical, get one as soon as possible, as they won’t be around for long.
SIX the Musical is on at the Playhouse, QPAC until 9 February.
SIX will be touring to Auckland in February before returning to Newcastle in April 2025.
Tickets: https://www.qpac.com.au/whats-on/2025/six-the-musical
Website: https://sixthemusical.com.au/
Socials: https://www.instagram.com/sixthemusicalau/
Photo credits: James D Morgan
Visit our Tiktok page for live videos of the night!
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