I studied the Tudors at school many years ago, and whilst my recollection of anything useful is vague, what sticks in my mind is the song about Henry XIII's wives - "divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded survived". SIX the Musical is based on the premise of this rhyme, giving 'her-story' to the 6 women who were reduced to one-word in a school time lesson.
With a kick-arse girl band vibe, the wives tell their own stories through song - I'm talking everything from Rihanna hip-hop style beats to Adele style ballads, and Lily Allen style slapstick lyrics. The stage is complete with strip lights, spotlights and an all-female band who accompany the six wives singing, sashaying and shimmying their way through their love-life with the infamous Tudor king.
Staged as a competition - I'm talking Pitch Perfect Acapella contest meets School of Rock Battle of the bands - the wives battle it out to win the crown *sorry* and see who suffered the most at the hands of Henry. There's bitchy comments including a snarky 'the only one he truly loved', gasped 'is that what you said?' and general aspects of a cat-fight turned sisterhood. There's certainly not a dull moment, and Gabriella Slade's 'Tudor court meets pop concert' ensembles - there are fishnets, blingy necklaces and spiked headpieces- add further colour to the drama and woes. By the end of the show, the ladies are not only singing in harmony but also put aside their differences in a feminism face punch to be more than just a wife.
History nerds or quick-witted millennials may catch the nods to Tudor puns - 'reformation' - or history itself including Anne Boleyn breaking up the church and not to mention the tagline "Divorced, Beheaded, LIVE!" which touches on the music concert rather than a musical genre. The power of the casts' voices was off the scale, working flawlessly to harmonise together or during their solos, and the choreography and seamless integration from one queen to the next highlights this is a polished work of art, especially with the sprinkle of comedic timing from an easy sassy sweetheart of Henry's. The message of the play that resonated most with me is that women shouldn't be compared - whether that be in history or otherwise. The feminist notion is idealised in the climax of the show, where the wives put a spin on what their lives would have been like without the infamous bearded consort.
The wives discuss amusing tangents - including catfish style portrait painting, not getting enough dick and daughters being easy to forget, which adds personality to the women whose voices were never heard in history. It's no surprise that the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival show has reigned (I'm on a roll with these puns) supreme, spanning a UK tour in 2018, hitting the West End, and now extending to the States, all whilst the current 2019 tour is about to kick-off.
I was lucky enough to meet the cast as part of my role at Nuffield Southampton Theatres, and everyone was super lovely! It's evident that they're all humble about the success of the show. I'm lucky enough to have seen the show twice - at the Arts Theatre in London, and also on tour in Southampton last year, and would happily see it again with the new West-End cast who I'm sure will put their own unique spin on each queen.
Kisses
Chloe
