As soon as theatres were allowed to operate again (albeit socially distanced), the producers of Six bought it straight back out on the road, making it one of the first musicals back on tour in the UK as we emerge from lockdown.
Now playing to full capacity, it's currently at the Oxford Playhouse, where I was lucky enough to catch the show. Originally booked in for a week in August 2020, the show sold so well that Six is now running for a fortnight, and is sold out for its entire visit.
Now, I'm no stranger to Six: I originally saw the show in a cow-shaped tent in Edinburgh at the Fringe Festival in 2018 and fell head over heels in love with it's genius, inventive way of essentially giving a history lesson in an hour and fifteen minutes.
Since then, I've seen the show multiple times, in both of it's London homes (The Arts and The Lyric) and out on tour in 2019. For me, it's one of the best British musicals of the past decade, and it's stratospheric rise to being a Broadway show just before the pandemic hit is unbelievably deserved. I don't think there's another show in recent memory that has had a journey as fast from 'Fringe show' to 'Broadway smash-hit' - eighteen months from Edinburgh to New York - it just doesn't happen! Writers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss really have tapped into something with this show - it's got masses of broad appeal, but with some brilliant hidden nuggets for the hardcore musical theatre fan (the reference to Little Shop of Horrors in the opening number makes me smile every time I hear it...)
Since then, I've seen the show multiple times, in both of it's London homes (The Arts and The Lyric) and out on tour in 2019. For me, it's one of the best British musicals of the past decade, and it's stratospheric rise to being a Broadway show just before the pandemic hit is unbelievably deserved. I don't think there's another show in recent memory that has had a journey as fast from 'Fringe show' to 'Broadway smash-hit' - eighteen months from Edinburgh to New York - it just doesn't happen! Writers Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss really have tapped into something with this show - it's got masses of broad appeal, but with some brilliant hidden nuggets for the hardcore musical theatre fan (the reference to Little Shop of Horrors in the opening number makes me smile every time I hear it...)
One of my favourite things about seeing this show multiple times is getting to see different women's interpretations of the Queens. One of my favourite things about theatre is how differently people can portray a role with the same source material, and it's so true with Six.
There's no 'lead' in this show - all six actresses have an equal cut of the show and that's just a great thing. The plot follows the women's search for which of them had the worst time married to their mutual husband, and that Queen shall lead the girl-band they are forming.
There's no 'lead' in this show - all six actresses have an equal cut of the show and that's just a great thing. The plot follows the women's search for which of them had the worst time married to their mutual husband, and that Queen shall lead the girl-band they are forming.
It's useless to try to compare the Queens as they're all so different, but it's worth highlighting them all just for a moment.
Lauren Drew's brilliantly Welsh Catherine of Aragon kicks off the show with fire, sass and attitude, whereas Maddison Bulleyment pulls every ounce of comedy out of Anne Boleyn's brilliant number 'Don't Lose Your Head'.
Caitlin Tipping has the emotional height of the show with 'Heart of Stone' and does great work with it, and then Shekinah McFarlane smashes Anna of Cleeves' no-nonsense 'Get Down' out of the park.
Six superstar Vicki Manser (who started out her journey with the show as a swing and ended up covering and playing all SIX of the Queens at one point or other) plays the queen we arguably know the least about - Katharine Howard - and her account of her life is probably the most harrowing, and Manser hits every beat of the nearly 7 minute 'All You Wanna Do'.
Rounding off the show is Elena Gyasi as the one who survived. Catherine Parr wants no part of the contest by the end of the show: who had the worst time sort of becomes irrelevant once you sit and realise that these women are better together than trying to tear each other apart. Gyasi's 'I Don't Need Your Love' isn't about winning the contest: its about survival and it's really moving.
Caitlin Tipping has the emotional height of the show with 'Heart of Stone' and does great work with it, and then Shekinah McFarlane smashes Anna of Cleeves' no-nonsense 'Get Down' out of the park.
Six superstar Vicki Manser (who started out her journey with the show as a swing and ended up covering and playing all SIX of the Queens at one point or other) plays the queen we arguably know the least about - Katharine Howard - and her account of her life is probably the most harrowing, and Manser hits every beat of the nearly 7 minute 'All You Wanna Do'.
Rounding off the show is Elena Gyasi as the one who survived. Catherine Parr wants no part of the contest by the end of the show: who had the worst time sort of becomes irrelevant once you sit and realise that these women are better together than trying to tear each other apart. Gyasi's 'I Don't Need Your Love' isn't about winning the contest: its about survival and it's really moving.
There really isn't a lot left to say.
Six is a sensation, and it's success in mainstream musical theatre is a real boost for new British musicals. We have so many wonderful composers and lyricists making new work that isn't yet on this scale (in the West End or in large touring venues like this.)
If I could make one suggestion, it's to seek them out. Go and see shows at places like Southwark Playhouse or The Other Palace (I am there tomorrow to see the new musical Operation Mincemeat on the recommendation of lots of friends and can't wait!) or go to a local 'scratch night' and find these new artists and support them.
If I could make one suggestion, it's to seek them out. Go and see shows at places like Southwark Playhouse or The Other Palace (I am there tomorrow to see the new musical Operation Mincemeat on the recommendation of lots of friends and can't wait!) or go to a local 'scratch night' and find these new artists and support them.
Six is touring nationally, reopening at the Vaudeville at the end of September, and reopening on Broadway later in the Autumn.
Don't miss it.
Don't miss it.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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