''Six'' (stylised in all uppercase) is a British

musical Musical is the adjective of music. Musical may also refer to: * Musical theatre, a performance art that combines songs, spoken dialogue, acting and dance * Musical film and television, a genre of film and television that incorporates into the narr ...

comedy Comedy is a genre of fiction that consists of discourses or works intended to be humorous or amusing by inducing laughter, especially in theatre, film, stand-up comedy, television, radio, books, or any other entertainment medium. The term o ...

with book, music, and lyrics by

Toby Marlow Toby Marlow (born 12 October 1994) is a British composer, writer, and actor best known for co-creating the international hit musical ''Six (musical), Six'' with Lucy Moss. ''Six'' received five 2019 Laurence Olivier Awards, Olivier Award nominat ...

and

Lucy Moss Lucy Amelia Nancy Moss (born 13 January 1994) is a British writer, director, and composer best known for co-creating the hit musical ''Six'' with Toby Marlow. As director of most ''Six'' productions, Moss became the youngest ever female director ...

. The musical is a modern retelling of the lives of the six

wives of Henry VIII In common parlance, the wives of Henry VIII were the six queens consort of King Henry VIII of England between 1509 and his death in 1547. In legal terms, Henry had only three wives, because three of his marriages were annulled by the Church of ...

presented as a pop concert, as the Queens take turns singing and telling their story to see who suffered the most due to Henry and should, therefore, become the group's lead singer. The musical was first presented by

Cambridge University , mottoeng = Literal: From here, light and sacred draughts. Non literal: From this place, we gain enlightenment and precious knowledge. , established = , other_name = The Chancellor, Masters and Schola ...

students at the

Edinburgh Festival Fringe The Edinburgh Festival Fringe (also referred to as The Fringe, Edinburgh Fringe, or Edinburgh Fringe Festival) is the world's largest arts and media festival, which in 2019 spanned 25 days and featured more than 59,600 performances of 3,841 dif ...

in 2017. It has since gone on to professional productions in the West End, on

Broadway Broadway may refer to: Theatre * Broadway Theatre (disambiguation) * Broadway theatre, theatrical productions in professional theatres near Broadway, Manhattan, New York City, U.S. ** Broadway (Manhattan), the street **Broadway Theatre (53rd Stree ...

and internationally.

Plot

The six Queens introduce themselves performing at a

pop concert A performance is an act of staging or presenting a play, concert, or other form of entertainment. It is also defined as the action or process of carrying out or accomplishing an action, task, or function. Management science In the work place ...

, telling the audience that the position of the band's lead singer will be the prize for whoever they determine had the worst experience at the hands of their common husband,

Henry VIII Henry VIII (28 June 149128 January 1547) was King of England from 22 April 1509 until his death in 1547. Henry is best known for his six marriages, and for his efforts to have his first marriage (to Catherine of Aragon) annulled. His disa ...

("Ex-Wives").

Catherine of Aragon Catherine of Aragon (also spelt as Katherine, ; 16 December 1485 – 7 January 1536) was Queen of England as the first wife of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 11 June 1509 until their annulment on 23 May 1533. She was previously ...

recounts how Henry wished to

annul Annulment is a legal procedure within secular and religious legal systems for declaring a marriage null and void. Unlike divorce, it is usually retroactive, meaning that an annulled marriage is considered to be invalid from the beginning almost ...

their marriage and place her in a

nunnery A convent is a community of monks, nuns, religious brothers or, sisters or priests. Alternatively, ''convent'' means the building used by the community. The word is particularly used in the Catholic Church, Lutheran churches, and the Anglican C ...

when he began lusting after

Anne Boleyn Anne Boleyn (; 1501 or 1507 – 19 May 1536) was Queen of England from 1533 to 1536, as the second wife of King Henry VIII. The circumstances of her marriage and of her execution by beheading for treason and other charges made her a key ...

despite being loyal to him during their marriage, much to her anger ("No Way"). In turn, Anne mocks Catherine about how Henry wanted her instead but then complains of the infidelity Henry partook in, which led to Anne flirting with other men to make him jealous and ending up

beheaded Decapitation or beheading is the total separation of the head from the body. Such an injury is invariably fatal to humans and most other animals, since it deprives the brain of oxygenated blood, while all other organs are deprived of the ...

("Don't Lose Ur Head").

Jane Seymour Jane Seymour (c. 150824 October 1537) was List of English consorts, Queen of England as the third wife of King Henry VIII of England from their Wives of Henry VIII, marriage on 30 May 1536 until her death the next year. She became queen followi ...

steps up to take her turn, but is ridiculed for having had an easy time with Henry. However, while admitting she may have been the only wife Henry truly loved, Jane claims that his love was conditional on her having produced a male heir, and that she stood by him despite his many faults ("Heart of Stone"). Themes relating to ideas of

female beauty Physical attractiveness is the degree to which a person's physical features are considered aesthetically pleasing or beautiful. The term often implies sexual attractiveness or desirability, but can also be distinct from either. There are many f ...

are explored in Hans Holbein's portrait studio, where the Queens parody a

dating app An online dating application is an online dating service presented through a mobile phone application (app), often taking advantage of a smartphone's GPS location capabilities, always on-hand presence, easy access to digital photo galleries and ...

by presenting a choice of three potential brides for Henry ("Haus of Holbein"). He chooses Anna of Cleves, but soon rejects her and annuls the marriage, suggesting she failed to resemble her portrait. She makes a show of complaining about living in a beautiful palace in Richmond with an enormous fortune and no man to tell her what to do, but in reality, ends up bragging about it ("Get Down"). The Queens question this, and Anna admits her lavish lifestyle lacked actual tragedy. The Queens then belittle

Katherine Howard Catherine Howard ( – 13 February 1542), also spelled Katheryn Howard, was Queen of England from 1540 until 1542 as the fifth wife of Henry VIII. She was the daughter of Lord Edmund Howard and Joyce Culpeper, a cousin to Anne Boleyn (the se ...

for being "the least relevant Catherine", but in retaliation she enumerates flaws in the others' claims to winning. She then recounts her romantic history, having had many

suitors Courtship is the period wherein some couples get to know each other prior to a possible marriage. Courtship traditionally may begin after a betrothal and may conclude with the celebration of marriage. A courtship may be an informal and private m ...

even as a child, and at first relishes her attractiveness; however, she soon reveals the

emotional trauma Psychological trauma, mental trauma or psychotrauma is an emotional response to a distressing event or series of events, such as accidents, rape, or natural disasters. Reactions such as psychological shock and psychological denial are typical. ...

and

abuse Abuse is the improper usage or treatment of a thing, often to unfairly or improperly gain benefit. Abuse can come in many forms, such as: physical or verbal maltreatment, injury, assault, violation, rape, unjust practices, crimes, or other t ...

she faced in each of these relationships ("All You Wanna Do"). As the Queens continue to fight over who is the true winner,

Catherine Parr Catherine Parr (sometimes alternatively spelled Katherine, Katheryn, Kateryn, or Katharine; 1512 – 5 September 1548) was Queen of England and Ireland as the last of the six wives of King Henry VIII from their marriage on 12 July 1543 until ...

questions the point of the competition, which defines them by their connection to Henry rather than as individuals. The Queens nonetheless continue to argue. Frustrated, Parr recalls her separation from her lover,

Sir Thomas Seymour Thomas Seymour, 1st Baron Seymour of Sudeley, KG, PC (20 March 1549) was a brother of Jane Seymour, the third wife of King Henry VIII. With his brother, Edward Seymour, 1st Duke of Somerset and Lord Protector of England, he vied for control of ...

, and

arranged marriage Arranged marriage is a type of marital union where the bride and groom are primarily selected by individuals other than the couple themselves, particularly by family members such as the parents. In some cultures a professional matchmaker may be us ...

with Henry, but instead of lamenting, she acknowledges her accomplishments independent of Henry ("I Don't Need Your Love"). The other Queens, realising they have been robbed of their individuality, abandon the contest and declare that they don't need Henry's love to feel validated as people. They use their remaining moments onstage to rewrite their stories, singing together as a group rather than as solo artists, and writing their own ' happily ever afters', had Henry never been involved ("Six"). They then perform a mashup of songs that appeared earlier in the show (excluding "Haus of Holbein") in which the audience have their permission to record ("Megasix").

Musical numbers

* "Ex-Wives" – Company * "Ex-Wives (Reprise)" – Company † * "No Way" – Catherine of Aragon and Company * "The One You've Been Waiting For" – Company minus Anne Boleyn † * "Don't Lose Ur Head" – Anne Boleyn and Company * "Heart of Stone" – Jane Seymour and Company * "Haus of Holbein" – Company * "Haus of Holbein (Playoff)" – Company † * "Get Down" – Anna of Cleves and Company * "All You Wanna Do" – Katherine Howard and Company * "I Don't Need Your Love" – Catherine Parr and Company * "I Don't Need Your Love (Remix)" – Catherine Parr and Company †† * "Six" – Company * "The Megasix (Encore)" – Company † † Not included on the studio cast recording.
†† Included as part of "I Don't Need Your Love" on the studio cast recording.

Cast recordings

studio album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

featuring the original Off-West End cast was released digitally and on CD on August 31, 2018 through 6 Music, Loudmouth Music, and Ex-Wives Ltd. The recording peaked at number four on the UK Soundtracks chart, ten on the

UK Compilation Chart The UK Compilation Chart is a record chart based on sales of multi artist compilation albums in the United Kingdom. It is compiled weekly by the Official Charts Company (OCC), and each week's Top 40 is published online on the official websites of ...

, 65 on the

UK Album Downloads Chart The UK Album Downloads Chart is compiled by the Official Charts Company (OCC) on behalf of the music industry. Since July 2015, the chart week runs from Friday to Thursday, with the chart date given as the following Thursday. The chart was introdu ...

, and number two on the US Cast Albums chart. It was

certified Gold Music recording certification is a system of certifying that a music recording has shipped, sold, or streamed a certain number of units. The threshold quantity varies by type (such as album, single, music video) and by nation or territory (see ...

in the UK in November 2021 and "Don't Lose Ur Head" was certified Silver in 2022. An instrumental "sing-along" version was released on July 30, 2019. The studio cast recording was released on

vinyl Vinyl may refer to: Chemistry * Polyvinyl chloride (PVC), a particular vinyl polymer * Vinyl cation, a type of carbocation * Vinyl group, a broad class of organic molecules in chemistry * Vinyl polymer, a group of polymers derived from vinyl m ...

for the first time on March 11, 2022. A

live album An album is a collection of audio recordings issued on compact disc (CD), Phonograph record, vinyl, audio tape, or another medium such as Digital distribution#Music, digital distribution. Albums of recorded sound were developed in the early ...

recorded on the original Broadway production's opening night was released on May 6, 2022. It debuted at number six on the UK Soundtracks chart, 23 on the UK Album Downloads Chart, 72 on the UK Album Sales Chart, and number one the US Cast Albums chart.

Development

Toby Marlow was selected in late 2016 by Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society to write a new musical to be performed at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe the next summer. The idea for what became ''Six'' came to Marlow while studying in his final year at Cambridge University. The initial six wives' concert concept occurred to him in a poetry class, and Marlow decided to get his friend Lucy Moss involved. Despite uncertainties, the pair wrote part of the show while studying for their final exams. Marlow researched by reading

Antonia Fraser Lady Antonia Margaret Caroline Fraser, (' Pakenham; born 27 August 1932) is a British author of history, novels, biographies and detective fiction. She is the widow of the 2005 Nobel Laureate in Literature, Harold Pinter (1930–2008), and pr ...

's ''The Six Wives of Henry VIII'', while Moss viewed a documentary series, ''Six Wives'' by

Lucy Worsley Dr Lucy Worsley (born 18 December 1973) is a British historian, author, curator, and television presenter. She is joint chief curator at Historic Royal Palaces but is best known as a presenter of BBC Television series on historical topics. Ea ...

. At their first writing session together, they watched a 2011

Beyoncé Beyoncé Giselle Knowles-Carter ( ; born September 4, 1981) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Beyoncé's boundary-pushing artistry and vocals have made her the most influential female musician of the 21st century, according to ...

concert and story-telling performance, '' Live at Roseland: Elements of 4''. Over the course of approximately 10 nonconsecutive days, Marlow and Moss established the foundation for the show. The writers fashioned the characters after a variety of real-life pop stars: *

is modelled on a mixture of ''

Lemonade Lemonade is a sweetened lemon-flavored beverage. There are varieties of lemonade found throughout the world. In North America and South Asia, cloudy still lemonade is the most common variety. There it is traditionally a homemade drink using le ...

''-era

Jennifer Lopez Jennifer Lynn Affleck (' Lopez; born July 24, 1969), also known as J.Lo, is an American singer, actress and dancer. In 1991, she began appearing as a Fly Girl dancer on the sketch comedy television series ''In Living Color'', where she rema ...

, and

Jennifer Hudson Jennifer Kate Hudson (born September 12, 1981), also known by her nickname J.Hud, is an American singer, actress, and talk show host. Throughout her career, she has received various accolades for her works in recorded music, film, televisio ...

. Her solo "No Way" incorporates components of real-life Catherine's Blackfriars speech. *

features elements of

Avril Lavigne Avril Ramona Lavigne ( ; born September 27, 1984) is a Canadian singer and songwriter. At age 16, she signed a two-album recording contract with Arista Records. Her debut studio album, ''Let Go (Avril Lavigne album), Let Go'' (2002), is the ...

Kate Nash Kate Marie Nash (born 6 July 1987) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. Nash launched her music career in 2005. Her 2007 single " Foundations" became a hit and brought her to public attention in the UK. Her debut album, '' Made of Bricks ...

Miley Cyrus Miley Ray Cyrus ( ; born Destiny Hope Cyrus on November 23, 1992) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Known for her distinctive raspy voice, her music spans across varied styles and genres, including pop, country, rock, hip hop ...

, and

Lily Allen Lily Rose Beatrice Allen (born 2 May 1985) is an English singer-songwriter and actress. She is the daughter of actor Keith Allen and film producer Alison Owen. Her music career began in 2005 when she made some of her vocal recordings publi ...

. In full-fledged productions, the actor portraying Boleyn typically wears space buns, which signals character roots in Miley Cyrus. Boleyn also sports green to pay homage to "

Greensleeves "Greensleeves" is a traditional English folk song. A broadside ballad by the name "A Newe Northen Dittye of ye Ladye Greene Sleves" was registered by Richard Jones at the London Stationer's Company in September 1580,Frank Kidson, ''English Fol ...

", referring to the myth that states that Henry VIII composed the song for Anne. Marlow and Moss weave in the "Greensleeves" musical motif throughout the score. Anne Boleyn sports a choker, representing her "beheaded" means of death. *

emulates pop balladeers such as

Adele Adele Laurie Blue Adkins (, ; born 5 May 1988), professionally known by the mononym Adele, is an English singer and songwriter. After graduating in arts from the BRIT School in 2006, Adele signed a reco ...

Sia Sia Kate Isobelle Furler ( ; born 18 December 1975) is an Australian singer and songwriter. Born and raised in Adelaide, she started her career as a singer in the acid jazz band Crisp in the mid-1990s. In 1997, when Crisp disbanded, she rel ...

Rihanna Robyn Rihanna Fenty ( ; born February 20, 1988) is a Barbadian singer, actress, and businesswoman. Born in Saint Michael and raised in Bridgetown, Barbados, Rihanna auditioned for American record producer Evan Rogers who invited her to the ...

, and

Celine Dion Céline Marie Claudette Dion ( ; born 30 March 1968) is a Canadian singer. Noted for her powerful and technically skilled vocals, Dion is the best-selling Canadian recording artist, and the best-selling French-language artist of all time. Her ...

. Seymour's costume design consists of a black and white corset design which alludes to

half-timbered houses Timber framing (german: Holzfachwerk) and "post-and-beam" construction are traditional methods of building with heavy Beam (structure), timbers, creating structures using squared-off and carefully fitted and Woodworking joints, joined timber ...

. * Anna of Cleves radiates

Nicki Minaj Onika Tanya Maraj-Petty (; born December 8, 1982), known professionally as Nicki Minaj ( ), is a Trinidadian-born rapper based in the United States. She is known for her musical versatility, animated flow in her rapping, alter egos and accent ...

and

's " Feeling Myself",

Lorde Ella Marija Lani Yelich-O'Connor (born 7 November 1996), known professionally as Lorde ( ), is a New Zealand singer-songwriter. Taking inspiration from aristocracy for her stage name, she is known for her unconventional musical styles and i ...

's " Royals", and

Iggy Azalea Amethyst Amelia Kelly (born 7 June 1990), known professionally as Iggy Azalea (), is an Australian rapper. At the age of 16, Azalea moved from Australia to the United States in order to pursue a career in music. Azalea earned public recognitio ...

and

Charli XCX Charlotte Emma Aitchison (born 2 August 1992), known professionally as Charli XCX, is an English singer and songwriter. Born in Cambridge and raised in Start Hill, Essex, she began posting songs on Myspace in 2008, which led to her discovery ...

's "

Fancy Fancy may refer to: Places * Fancy, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, a settlement * Fancy River, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines Music Albums * ''Fancy'' (Bobbie Gentry album), 1970 * ''Fancy'' (Idiot Flesh album), 1997 * ''Fancy'' (video ...

". *

's story is recontextualised through her depiction which parallels young, sexualised pop stars like

Britney Spears Britney Jean Spears (born December 2, 1981) is an American singer. Often referred to as the " Princess of Pop", she is credited with influencing the revival of teen pop during the late 1990s and early 2000s. After appearing in stage productio ...

and

Ariana Grande Ariana Grande-Butera ( ; born June 26, 1993) is an American singer, songwriter, and actress. Her four-octave vocal range has received critical acclaim, and her personal life has been the subject of widespread media attention. She has received ...

. As in Anne Boleyn's costume design, Katherine's also features a choker, serving as a representation of her being beheaded. *

's characterisation draws inspiration from

Alicia Keys Alicia Augello Cook (born January 25, 1981), known professionally as Alicia Keys, is an American singer, songwriter, and pianist. A classically trained pianist, Keys started composing songs when she was 12 and was signed at 15 years old by Col ...

and

Emeli Sandé Adele Emily Sandé, ( ; born 10 March 1987), known professionally as Emeli Sandé, is a Scottish singer and songwriter. Born in Sunderland, Tyne and Wear, and raised in Alford, Aberdeenshire, Scotland, by an English mother and a Zambian fathe ...

. She typically wears trousers, unlike the other queens who appear in dresses with tights. Marlow and Moss lamented the lack of gender diversity within the theatre industry, which caused them to focus on themes of queerness while developing the show. They wanted a cast that was predominantly female or non-binary and the story itself to feature queer narratives in a space which normally didn't.

Productions

Six at the Vaudeville Theatre, December 2022 02

Edinburgh Fringe

The world premiere production of ''Six'' took place at the

in 2017, presented by Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society. Although the production did not win any major awards, it was well-received and sold out of tickets at the festival. Its popularity led to ''Six'' being invited back to Edinburgh Fringe the next summer, this time in one of the festival's larger venues.

Professional debut and UK tour (2018)

The Edinburgh production and a subsequent showing back in Cambridge attracted the attention of producers Kenny Wax and Global Musicals . The show was initially booked for four performances at the

Arts Theatre The Arts Theatre is a theatre in Great Newport Street, in Westminster, Central London. History It opened on 20 April 1927 as a members-only club for the performance of unlicensed plays, thus avoiding theatre censorship by the Lord Chamberl ...

in the West End of

London London is the capital and largest city of England and the United Kingdom, with a population of just under 9 million. It stands on the River Thames in south-east England at the head of a estuary down to the North Sea, and has been a majo ...

, making its professional debut on 18 December 2017, and appeared in Monday-night only weekly slots. The production was eventually increased to six performances. A studio recording was released on 13 September 2018 featuring the original Arts Theatre cast. ''Six'' began its first UK tour on 11 July at the

Norwich Playhouse The Norwich Playhouse is a theatre in St George's Street, Norwich, Norfolk, England. The theatre opened in 1995 in a nineteenth-century building that was once a maltings, and is a 300-seat receiving house for theatre arts including comedy, music ...

with a mix of new and returning cast members from the original Arts Theatre production. It returned to the Edinburgh Fringe on 1 August 2018. The production briefly transferred back to London to the Arts Theatre, opening on 30 August 2018 before closing on 14 October and continuing its UK tour. The UK tour ended on 30 December 2018 in Glasgow.

West End (2019–present)

The musical re-opened for an initial 16-week run at the Arts Theatre on 17 January 2019. Directed by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage with choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, set design by Emma Bailey, and musical supervision by Joe Beighton, the initial run was planned to be extended until January 2021. However, due to the

COVID-19 pandemic The COVID-19 pandemic, also known as the coronavirus pandemic, is an ongoing global pandemic of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) caused by severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). The novel virus was first identif ...

the production was paused starting in March 2020. The show became one of the first to reopen on the West End. It reopened briefly at the Lyric Theatre on 5 December 2020, with plans to return to the Arts Theatre the following year. Due to the ongoing pandemic, audiences were

socially distanced In public health, social distancing, also called physical distancing, (NB. Regula Venske is president of the PEN Centre Germany.) is a set of non-pharmaceutical interventions or measures intended to prevent the spread of a contagious disea ...

, with capacity limited to 50%, face coverings and temperature checks required, and

contact tracing In public health, contact tracing is the process of identifying persons who may have been exposed to an infected person ("contacts") and subsequent collection of further data to assess transmission. By tracing the contacts of infected individua ...

rules in place. In mid-December, all London theatres were again required to close. The show reopened for the second time since its initial closure at the Lyric on 21 May 2021 with the above measures still in place. The production finished its residency at the Lyric Theatre on 29 August 2021, and reopened at the nearby

Vaudeville Theatre The Vaudeville Theatre is a West End theatre on the Strand in the City of Westminster. As the name suggests, the theatre held mostly vaudeville shows and musical revues in its early days. It opened in 1870 and was rebuilt twice, although each ...

on 29 September. On 14 November 2021, the full West End cast, including all principal actresses, alternates, and swings, departed. They were replaced by Amy Di Bartolomeo (Aragon), Amanda Lindgren (Boleyn), Claudia Kariuki (Seymour), Dionne Ward-Anderson (Cleves), Tsemaye Bob-Egbe (Howard), Meesha Turner (Parr), as well as Paisley Billings, Roxanne Couch, and Danielle Rose as alternates, plus Esme Rothero and Rachel Rawlinson as "super swings." After three performances at

Hampton Court Palace Hampton Court Palace is a Grade I listed royal palace in the London Borough of Richmond upon Thames, southwest and upstream of central London on the River Thames. The building of the palace began in 1514 for Cardinal Thomas Wolsey, the chie ...

on 19 and 20 June 2022, the full original cast returned to the West End to record a professionally filmed version of the show. Tapings took place on 29 and 30 June 2022 and were followed by a public performance on 01 July 2022. Tickets were sold via a virtual lottery, and the recording will be released in the near future.

North American tour (2019)

''Six'' had its North American premiere at the

Chicago Shakespeare Theater Chicago Shakespeare Theater (CST) is a non-profit, professional theater company located at Navy Pier in Chicago, Illinois. Its more than six hundred annual performances performed 48 weeks of the year include its critically acclaimed Shakespeare s ...

(CST) in May 2019. Directed by Jamie Armitage and Lucy Moss, the Chicago premiere was produced by ''Six'''s London producers with the addition of

producer

Kevin McCollum Kevin McCollum (born March 1, 1962) is an American theatrical booking executive and producer of musical theater and plays, many on Broadway. During a producing career spanning over twenty-five years, McCollum has received three Tony Awards for ...

. According to Chris Jones, the Chicago production was a likely Broadway tryout. The production broke box office records for CST and its run at the theatre was eventually extended and a Broadway booking set for 2020. The musical moved to the

American Repertory Theater The American Repertory Theater (A.R.T.) is a professional not-for-profit theater in Cambridge, Massachusetts. Founded in 1979 by Robert Brustein, the A.R.T. is known for its commitment to new American plays and music–theater explorations; to ne ...

in Cambridge, Massachusetts in late August and made its Canadian premiere at Edmonton's

Citadel Theatre The Citadel Theatre is the major venue for theatre arts in the city of Edmonton, Alberta, Canada, located in the city's downtown core on Churchill Square. It is the third largest regional theatre in Canada. History It began in a former Salvati ...

in November before finishing its tour at the

Ordway Center for the Performing Arts The Ordway Center for the Performing Arts, in downtown Saint Paul, Minnesota, hosts a variety of performing arts, such as touring Broadway musicals, orchestra, opera, and cultural performers, and produces local musicals. It is home to several lo ...

in St. Paul, Minnesota on 22 December 2019, prior to its Broadway debut.

Norwegian Cruise Line (2019–present)

On 6 August 2019,

Norwegian Cruise Line Norwegian Cruise Line (NCL), also known in short as Norwegian, is an American cruise line founded in 1966, incorporated in Bermuda and headquartered in Miami. It is the fourth-largest cruise line in the world by passengers, controlling about 8.6 ...

announced that they would be showing performances of ''Six'' on three of their ships. The first production began in September 2019 on the ''

Norwegian Bliss ''Norwegian Bliss'' is a cruise ship for Norwegian Cruise Line, which entered service on 21 April 2018. The ship was built by Meyer Werft in Papenburg, Germany. The ship had a schedule of debuting in Alaska, United States in June 2018, and is ...

'', with a second production on the ''

Norwegian Breakaway ''Norwegian Breakaway'' is a cruise ship of Norwegian Cruise Line. It, along with , are the first two ships in "Project Breakaway" ordered by Norwegian Cruise Line. They were named through a public contest - a contestant submitted the name ''No ...

'' beginning in November 2019. A third production was scheduled to begin on the ''

'' in April 2020. The productions were put on pause in March 2020 due to the

. The ''Norwegian Breakaway'' and ''Norwegian Bliss'' productions restarted in September 2021 and October 2021, respectively.

UK tour (2019–present)

A second UK tour was officially announced on 5 September 2019. The production opened on 24 October 2019 at the

Yvonne Arnaud Theatre The Yvonne Arnaud Theatre is a theatre located in Guildford, Surrey, England. Named after the actress Yvonne Arnaud, it presents a series of locally produced and national touring productions, including opera, ballet and pantomime. The theatre h ...

Guildford Guildford () is a town in west Surrey, around southwest of central London. As of the 2011 census, the town has a population of about 77,000 and is the seat of the wider Borough of Guildford, which had around inhabitants in . The name "Guildf ...

, starring Lauren Drew, Maddison Bulleyment, Lauren Byrne, Shekinah McFarlane, Jodie Steele, and Athena Collins. The tour was scheduled to run until 25 July 2020, concluding its run at the

Birmingham Hippodrome The Birmingham Hippodrome is a theatre situated on Hurst Street in the Chinese Quarter of Birmingham, England. Although best known as the home stage of the Birmingham Royal Ballet, it also hosts a wide variety of other performances including vi ...

. Due to the

shutting down theaters however, a deal was struck between the Society of London Theatre and U.K. actors union Equity; ensuring that West End and touring performers who are currently under contract will be able to continue on those preexisting terms and restart rehearsals or performances with revised dates once the shutdown ends. In June 2020, a drive-in-style tour production was planned. It was later cancelled before opening due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. In April 2021, it was announced that the tour would resume starting on 8 June in

Canterbury Canterbury (, ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and UNESCO World Heritage Site, situated in the heart of the City of Canterbury local government district of Kent, England. It lies on the River Stour, Kent, River Stour. ...

. Drew, Bulleyment, McFarlane, and the alternates returned for the production. They were joined by Caitlin Tipping (Bliss 1.0), Vicki Manser, Elèna Gyasi, and Natalie Pilkington as Jane Seymour, Katherine Howard, Catherine Parr, and as swing, respectively. The cast change date for UK tour had been set as 6 March 2022, and would take place in Guildford, with the new cast announced on 1 February 2022. The cast will star Chloe Hart (Aragon), Jennifer Caldwell (previous Tour alt.) (Boleyn), Casey Al-Shaqsy (Seymour), Aiesha Pease (Cleves), Jaina Brock-Patel (Howard), and Alana M Robinson (Parr). Caldwell previously understudied the role of Anne Boleyn as well as Katherine Howard in the previous cast of the UK tour. The cast change was delayed until the tenth March due to outbreaks of COVID-19 in the replacement cast. Pease stepped down from the role of Cleves after the tour concluded its time in Guildford. She was replaced by Jessica Niles (NCL Breakaway 1/2.0 Cleves) respectively. More recently, it was announced that the show will take a two week stop in

Amsterdam Amsterdam ( , , , lit. ''The Dam on the River Amstel'') is the Capital of the Netherlands, capital and Municipalities of the Netherlands, most populous city of the Netherlands, with The Hague being the seat of government. It has a population ...

in September 2023. Patel stepped down from the role of Howard towards the tour concluding its time in Blackpool. She was replaced by Rebecca Wickes (Bliss 2.0 Howard) respectively.

Australia and New Zealand (2020/2021–present)

''Six'' had its Australian premiere at the

Sydney Opera House The Sydney Opera House is a multi-venue performing arts centre in Sydney. Located on the foreshore of Sydney Harbour, it is widely regarded as one of the world's most famous and distinctive buildings and a masterpiece of 20th-century architec ...

, in January 2020, starring Chloé Zuel (Aragon), Kala Gare (Boleyn), Loren Hunter (Seymour), Kiana Daniele (Cleves), Courtney Monsma (Howard), and Vidya Makan (Parr) with Ella Burns, Karis Oka and Shannen Alyce Quan as swings. The production was originally planned to tour to Melbourne's

Comedy Theatre The Harold Pinter Theatre, known as the Comedy Theatre until 2011,

in mid 2020 and Adelaide's

Her Majesty's Theatre Her Majesty's Theatre is a West End theatre situated on Haymarket, London, Haymarket in the City of Westminster, London. The present building was designed by Charles J. Phipps and was constructed in 1897 for actor-manager Herbert Beerbohm Tree, ...

in late 2020 as part of the

Adelaide Cabaret Festival The Adelaide Cabaret Festival is an annual arts festival featuring cabaret held in the South Australian capital of Adelaide. It has been held in June each year since 2001, with the exception of 2020 owing to the COVID-19 pandemic in Australia, ...

but the performances were postponed due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The Australian production is produced by Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Linda Bewick. The production reopened on December 19, 2021, at the Sydney Opera House and ran through to April 2, 2022. Gare, Hunter, Daniele, Makan, Oka and Quan returned to the show, and joined by Phoenix Jackson Mendoza and Chelsea Dawson, replacing Zuel and Monsoma as Aragon and Howard respectively, as well as swing Chiara Assetta. It then continued its Australian tour in Canberra, with stops in Adelaide and Melbourne, before returning to Sydney again, with Perth, Brisbane and New Zealand to follow.

Broadway (2020/2021–present)

''Six'' began

previews on 13 February 2020 at the

Lena Horne Theatre The Lena Horne Theatre (previously the Mansfield Theatre and the Brooks Atkinson Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 256 West 47th Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City. Opened in 1926, it was designed by Herbert ...

(then known as the Brooks Atkinson Theatre). On the day of its scheduled Broadway opening, 12 March 2020, all Broadway theatres were closed due to the

. In May 2021, it was announced that ''Six'' would resume Broadway preview performances starting on 17 September 2021, and it officially opened on 3 October. The first new musical to open on Broadway since the beginning of the pandemic, according to ''

Variety Variety may refer to: Arts and entertainment Entertainment formats * Variety (radio) * Variety show, in theater and television Films * ''Variety'' (1925 film), a German silent film directed by Ewald Andre Dupont * ''Variety'' (1935 film), ...

'' its opening night was both a celebration for Broadway theatre and a testament to the show's novel use of

social media Social media are interactive media technologies that facilitate the creation and sharing of information, ideas, interests, and other forms of expression through virtual communities and networks. While challenges to the definition of ''social medi ...

to propel it to international sensation pre-Broadway, especially among young people. Moss and Armitage directed the production, with choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, set design by Emma Bailey, costumes by Gabriella Slade, sound by Paul Gatehouse, lighting by Tim Deiling, and orchestrations by Tom Curran. The original Broadway cast was the same as the 2019 North American tour cast with the addition of two swings. In promotion of the show, the cast performed at the 2021

Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade The Macy's Thanksgiving Day Parade is an annual parade in New York City presented by the U.S.-based department store chain Macy's. The Parade first took place in 1924, tying it for the second-oldest Thanksgiving parade in the United States with ...

. A cast album of the original Broadway production was announced for 2022. The live recording from the opening night was released May 6, 2022.

US Tours (2022–present)

At the original Chicago production's final show on 4 August 2019, it was announced that ''Six'' would return to the city at the Broadway Playhouse. It was scheduled to begin 5 October 2021, after two postponements due to the COVID-19 pandemic. The production was then rescheduled for the larger

CIBC Theatre CIBC Theatre is a performing arts theater located at 18 West Monroe Street in the Loop area of downtown Chicago. It is operated by Broadway In Chicago, part of the Nederlander Organization. Opened in 1906 as the ''Majestic Theatre'', it currently s ...

and ran from 29 March to 3 July 2022, the start of a new US Tour - referred to as the "Aragon" tour. The cast consisted of Khaila Wilcoxon (Aragon), Storm Lever (Boleyn), Jasmine Forsberg (Seymour), Olivia Donaldson (Cleves), Didi Romero (Howard), and Gabriela Carrillo (Parr). A second US tour – called the "Boleyn" tour – was announced on 28 February 2022, and launched at The Smith Center in Las Vegas, Nevada on 20 September 2022.

South Korea (2023)

A South Korean production will play the COEX Artium in Seoul from March to June 2023. Casting is yet to be announced.

Poland (2023)

Polish production will be play at Teatr Syrena in Warsaw from September 2023 directed by Ewelina Adamska-Porczyk. Casting was announced in October: Olga Szomańska (Aragon), Izabela Pawletko (Boleyn), Marta Burdynowicz (Seymour), Małgorzata Chruściel (Cleves), Anna Terpiłowska (Howard), Natalia Kujawa (Parr) with three understudies: Agnieszka Rose (Aragon/Seymour), Marta Skrzypczyńska (Cleves/Parr) and Aleksandra Gotowicka (Boleyn/Howard).

Principal original casts

Notable West End replacements

* Anne Boleyn:

Courtney Bowman Courtney Bowman (born 1 February 1995) is an English stage actress and singer. She originated the role of Fatimah in ''Everybody's Talking About Jamie'' at the Crucible and Apollo Theatre. She played Anne Boleyn in ''Six'' at the Arts Theatre, L ...

* Katherine Howard:

Sophie Isaacs Sophie Isaacs (born 20 September 1988) is an English stage actress and singer. She is known for portraying the role of Heather McNamara in Heathers: The Musical at The Other Palace and Theatre Royal Haymarket and for portraying Katherine Howar ...

* Catherine Parr:

Danielle Steers Danielle Lauren Steers (born 20 June 1991) is an English stage actress and singer-songwriter. She is known for originating the role of Zahara in '' Bat Out of Hell: The Musical'' at the Manchester Opera House, as well as subsequently playing the ...

Show co-creator

filled in as Catherine Parr for two West End performances on 28 July 2019 due to a cast-wide illness.

Notable Broadway replacements

* Catherine Parr:

Taylor Iman Jones Taylor Iman Jones is an American actress and singer known for her work in musical theatre. Born in the San Francisco Bay Area of California, Jones moved to New York City and made her Broadway theatre, Broadway debut in 2017, in the ensemble of ...

Supporting players

Included on-stage are the back-up band, known as "The Ladies in Waiting". The band provides part the accompaniment and are costumed and assume the persona of a "historical"

lady-in-waiting A lady-in-waiting or court lady is a female personal assistant at a court, attending on a royal woman or a high-ranking noblewoman. Historically, in Europe, a lady-in-waiting was often a noblewoman but of lower rank than the woman to whom sh ...

. According to ''

Playbill ''Playbill'' is an American monthly magazine for theatergoers. Although there is a subscription issue available for home delivery, most copies of ''Playbill'' are printed for particular productions and distributed at the door as the show's pr ...

'', the on-stage band members, "execute a myriad of musical cues, acting choices, and subtle choreography that further immerse the audience into the concert experience and underscore the razor-sharp wit of the show’s libretto."

Reception

In a review of the Arts Theatre production, Dominic Cavendish of ''The Telegraph'' called the show "gloriously – persuasively – coherent, confident and inventive". Lyn Gardner of ''The Guardian'' wrote, "It may be cloaked in silliness, but ''Six'' makes some serious points about female victimhood and survival." In a review of the Chicago production, Chris Jones of ''The Chicago Tribune'' praised the show as "dynamic" and a "blast", with a "sense of humor and spirited radicalism." Marlow and Moss are "gifted comic writers", he said, and he praised the "musical force of the intensely committed and talented actresses" in the Chicago cast. Jones suggested the show could use 10 more minutes of material that gets away from the plot's singing contest conceit, and toward the emotional center of the characters. He also thought the orchestration of the songs could be more substantial. Jones said ''Six'' has an audience that is ready for it, in part because it gets to a complex historical paradox and treats it with verve, the memories of women in history being tied to the life of a man. Hedy Weiss of ''

WTTW WTTW (channel 11) is a PBS member television station in Chicago, Illinois, United States. Owned by not-for-profit broadcaster Window to the World Communications, Inc., it is sister to commercial classical music radio station WFMT (98.7 FM). The ...

'' praised the musical as "sensational", singling out each performer in the Chicago cast. Weiss also thought the show makes a convincing case for each character, and in addition to praising the writers, noted the "dynamite direction by Moss and Jamie Armitage, and powerhouse music direction by Roberta Duchak" as well as, "Gabriella Slade’s glittering costumes . . . and Tim Deiling’s arena-style lighting". According to Rachel Weinberg of ''Broadway World'', "''Six'' carries out joyful and anachronistic takedown of the patriarchy" through the performances of a "brilliant" cast and a book and score with an inventive and sensational compositional method. Jesse Green of ''The New York Times'' wrote that the musical is "pure entertainment", the writing is "wickedly smart", the "terrific singers" of the Chicago cast sell the show "unstintingly", and the production values "befit a splashy North American premiere with Broadway backing." The reviews for the 2021 Broadway production were positive. Green's ''New York Times'' review of the Broadway production labeled it a "Critic's Pick", calling it a "rollicking, reverberant blast from the past". Frank Rizzo of ''

'' said, "It may not be ''

Masterpiece Theatre ''Masterpiece'' (formerly known as ''Masterpiece Theatre'') is a drama anthology television series produced by WGBH-TV, WGBH Boston. It premiered on Public Broadcasting Service (PBS) on January 10, 1971. The series has presented numerous acclaim ...

'', but this 'Six' is a solid '10' for joy." Johnny Oleksinski of ''

New York Post The ''New York Post'' (''NY Post'') is a conservative daily tabloid newspaper published in New York City. The ''Post'' also operates NYPost.com, the celebrity gossip site PageSix.com, and the entertainment site Decider.com. It was established ...

'' gave the show three stars out of a possible four calling the songs "whip-smart and catchy".

Awards

Original West End production

Chicago theatre

Original Broadway production

The original Broadway production was in preview shows starting 13 February 2020, which made it eligible for the 2020 Drama League Awards, but its scheduled March 2020 opening night was cancelled due to the

stay-at-home order A stay-at-home order, safer-at-home order, movement control order (more common in Southeast Asia), or lockdown restrictions (in the United Kingdom) – also referred to by loose use of the terms (self-) quarantine, (self-) isolation, or lockdow ...

announced in regard to the

. Its official 2021 opening made it eligible for the 2022 Tony Awards.

Historical accuracy

The show is based on historical figures with varying degrees of accuracy. Generally, the show is quite sympathetic towards its characters: for instance, it portrays Katherine Howard as a survivor of rape, which is debated amongst historians. Researchers and writers such as

Suzannah Lipscomb Suzannah Rebecca Gabriella Lipscomb (born 7 December 1978)
, Library of Congress Name Authority File is a Britis ...

and Gareth Russell have identified themselves as fans of the show.

SVN

After being in the Original West End cast for ''Six'', Aimie Atkinson, Alexia McIntosh, Jarnéia Richard-Noel, Millie O'Connell, Maiya Quansah-Breed and Natalie May Paris teamed up with cast understudy Grace Mouat to launch a girl group called SVN (pronounced seven), with the band releasing singles such as "Woman" and "Free" in 2022.

Notes

References

External links

Official Website
{{TonyAward MusicalScore West End musicals 2017 musicals British musicals Musicals inspired by real-life events Plays set in the 16th century Biographical musicals Broadway musicals One-act musicals Cultural depictions of Anne Boleyn Cultural depictions of English queens Cultural depictions of the wives of Henry VIII Cultural depictions of English monarchs Cultural depictions of Catherine of Aragon Jane Seymour Anne of Cleves Catherine Howard Catherine Parr Women of the Tudor period English ladies-in-waiting Tony Award-winning musicals