Six the Musical UK tour – Oxford New theatre

I always feel like I go to the theatre quite a bit, but then hear about others in a theatre facebook group I’m in. And some of them are going multiple times a month. I’m not sure I could get away with that at home given I can’t always guarantee the OH is home early from work to sort N out. After having to cancel seeing Six the Musical UK tour in January due to the OH’s Covid, my time to see it had finally arrived.  

I’d booked Six tickets in at New Theatre Oxford which isn’t my favourite due to the cramped seats and over-excessive heat there.  But for once this wasn’t too much of an issue. Especially considering it was about 28C that day. The lobby wasn’t too hot because they let people into the auditorium much earlier than normal. And in the theatre itself it was much cooler (until it got full, then it was still bearable).

I’d chosen a seat in the circle on the aisle, and it was a great view. Leg room aplenty out the side, and noone sitting in front of me.

Six the Musical tour

If you’ve never heard about it, or haven’t seen any performances on tv before, Six is the musical about the wives of Henry VIII. Their back story, how they came to be married to the king, and how they ended up. But there’s no stuffy history herstory here.  It’s all pepped up with high energy pop style songs and dance routines.

The costumes are great – each wife is symbolised by a different colour, and different costume. But all are impactful and fun, with corset vibes.

Each of the wives gets to tell their own story in order following the refrain we all know ‘Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived’. The audience are asked to make their pick, and choose your favourite. Do you opt for nice gentle Jane who was the only wife Henry really loved? Or strong Anne Boleyn who thinks she was the most hard done by because you know ‘beheaded’?

The music is singalong memorable. I’d probably only seen or heard a couple of the songs from tv show performances. But had listened to the soundtrack online beforehand to make sure I knew what to expect.  But several of the songs are tunes you’ll be humming along afterwards. And some of the moments are really funny (the Haus of Holbein made me chuckle), plus much of Anne Boleyn’s parts.

The verdict

I loved it. And I’d happily go back and see it time after time.

I was concerned with the whooping and cheering from the audience when the lights dimmed and it started, but thankfully everyone was very well behaved in the audience. The audience was predominantly female, with a lot of tweens and teens who’d obviously been to see the show several times.

The queens talked to the audience in some places, but it wasn’t really interactive as such which was a relief. I prefer just to watch and enjoy.

The staging is simple – it’s just the wives talking and singing to each other, trying to prove who was the best queen, and the audience. But the lighting and overall affect works really well.

I thought all the performers were brilliant, both in dance and singing. It’s an all female cast which includes the Ladies-in-Waiting band who are also on stage throughout. 

Each have their own characters. I have to admit to being pretty rubbish with history but I know quite a bit about the wives due to reading a lot of Jean Plaidy books when I was younger. Catherine Parr was always my favourite before watching Six, but now I’m torn.

Performers on the SIx UK tour for 2024 are: 

• Nicole Louise Lewis – Catherine of Aragon 
• Laura Dawn Pyatt (Izi Maxwell?) – Anne Boleyn 
• Erin Caldwell  – Jane Seymour 
• Kenedy Small  – Anna of Cleves
• Lou Henry – Katherine Howard 
• Aoife Haakenson – Catherine Parr

The cast are backed by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies in Waiting:

• Guitar – Lola Barber
• Bass – Jikea Oh
• Drums – Amanda Dal

Who’s your favourite Queen from Six the Musical?