In 2017, university students Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss joined forces to create an original musical for Edinburgh Fringe Festival. With the idea of telling the stories of the six wives of Henry VIII from the unique perspective of the women themselves, they put pen to paper and SIX was born. Their brief was particularly short, define the women, use pop music, make it fun. Little did they know that this piece of fringe experimentation would take on a momentum of its own, becoming an international success and a cultural phenomenon. 

Modern songs such as Jessie Jay’s ‘Bang Bang’ and Britney Spears ‘Toxic’ play on a harpsichord as we file into our seats at the beautiful Oxford Playhouse; a fun reminder that we are about to witness history but with a modern flavour.

The premise of the show is simple, the six wives compete to identify who had it worse. The phenomenal all-female band, wittily referred to as the ‘ladies in waiting’, consists of Vanessa Dominique on drums, Frankie South on guitar and Kat Bax on bass. These musical powerhouses are led by Musical Director/Tour De Force Sarah Burrell on keys. The band are visible on stage, set the backdrop to the show and clearly love what they do. This is no regular musical, with vibrant lighting by Tim Deiling, this is a pop concert overflowing with energy, sex appeal and banter.

Leading this pop troop, Lauren Drew has the unenviable task of setting up the theme, direction and premise of the show. Some of the audience are already on the board, whilst the rest of us need persuading. Stepping into the shoes of Catherine of Aragon, Drew oozes charisma drawing you in with vocal gymnastics that tingle down the spine. Madison Bulleyment makes Anne Bolelyn sexy and sassy with just the right dose of naivety, and Caitlin Tipping’s Jayne Seymour could melt any heart of stone with her heart-warming tale of loyalty and what could be true love.

Special mention has to go to Shekinah McFarlane as Anna of Cleves. The energy, expression and wit of McFarlane is spellbindingly consistent throughout the show. Despite twerking, jumping and kicking, they did not drop a lyric or miss a trick. Vicki Manser as Katherine Howard, in my opinion, won the competition. Her rendition of ‘All You Wanna Do’ has you toe-tapping to the Britney-like anthem whilst getting slowly uncomfortable as she gets more and more frantic retelling her experience. Finally, but in no lesser appreciation, Elèna Gyasi’s Catherine Parr is gentle, kind and the mediator required in every friendship group. Gyasi hides her vocal prowess until it’s her moment to shine with expertise. Presenting as the mild one of the group, they unleash the hidden power that lurks in all of us, and use that power to unite rather than divide dispelling the competition and turning SIX into a story of unity rather than competition. 

Though each of the SIX are incredible, when they come together, they are unstoppable. The slick choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille enforces the girl band vibes and Paul Gatehouse’s sound design ensures that no lyric is missed and each harmony is heard in glorious chorus. Surprisingly accurate, SIX handles traumatic subject matter in a palatable format. It would be easy for each wife to become a parody of the pop star they are inspired by or a caricature for laughs and yet in the caring hands of directors Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, each wife is relatable, accessible, and inspiring.

Though the tudor period was over 500 years ago, the clever writing and incredibly diverse casting enables this history lesson to be relevant today and for years to come. Each song is a bop which could easily be seen in the charts today, a particular highlight being ‘Haus of Holbein’.

SIX is energetic, educational, and empowering. Go see it Besties, this is 90 minutes of exhilarating fun, you won’t be disappointed.

Divorced, Beheaded, Exceeds the Hype. 

***** Five stars

Reviewed by: Alanna Boden

Six plays at Oxford Playhouse until 5 September 2021 before continuing its UK tour. Tickets for select venues can be booked here.