Divorced, Beheaded, Live at the Marlowe! A review of ‘Six’

(Image courtesy of Katie Daly)

25th June 2021

By Katie Daly

If you’re a theatre lover like myself you will be welcoming the reopening of those glorious theatre doors with open arms. As much as live streamed shows and YouTube concerts made a much-appreciated attempt to fill the theatre shaped hole in our lives during lockdown, you can’t beat the thrill of the dimming lights and surging claps of anticipation as the curtains are drawn back and the stage comes to life. With so many amazing shows starting to reopen, we thought we’d start with a cult favourite and bring you the rundown of *insert harmony* Six,currently playing at Canterbury’s own Marlowe Theatre.

Six, written by Cambridge University graduates Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, centres around the six wives of King Henry VIII as they present a modern retelling of history, or ‘her-story’, through a pop concert style performance. The queens take turns in performing a musical number to capture the hardships they endured whilst married to Henry, competing for the crown of the worst treated wife. Since debuting at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2017, Six’s popularity has skyrocketed, and we can see why! From the dazzling, glitter encrusted costumes, designed by Gabriella Slade, to the pitch perfect harmonies, Six makes for a night to remember.

Think GCSE history lesson meets the Spice Girls and you can start to conjure up a pretty accurate image of what to expect from Six. The show blends historical accuracies with all the sass of your favourite girl band, as each queen takes centre stage to tell their side of the story and the remaining queens provide back-up vocals. The audience are taken on a journey through Catherine of Aragon’(Lauren Drew)’s near miss with being forced into a nunnery; the beheading of Anne Boleyn (Maddison Bulleyment) for her shameless flirting; the death of Jane Seymour (Caitlin Tipping) following her birth of Henry’s heir; the rejection of Anne of Cleves (Shekinah McFarlane) Six’s resident Tudor catfish; the emotional trauma endured by the ‘least relevant Catherine’, Katherine Howard (Vicki Manser) and last but not least, the defiant Miss Independent, Catherine Parr (Elena Gyasi).

Not only does Six present history in a digestible and entertaining way, the show also emanates a really strong feminist message. Catherine Parr points out that the queens shouldn’t be fighting over who has withstood the most ill treatment by infamous womaniser Henry VIII, but should unite and redefine how they are viewed, rejecting their synonymity with the misogynistic king, in favour of an appreciation of their individuality. The queens abandon the witty quips that have kept the audience in stitches throughout the show, and come together. In reprising Parr’s anthem ‘I Don’t Need your Love’, the queens reject the patriarchal structures which club them together and keep them alive in history books purely as a group of wives. Instead, they embrace what makes them unique and create their own happily ever after as ‘The Royaling Stones’ – the ultimate girl power move!

(Image courtesy of Katie Daly)

The girl power just keeps on coming as the queens’ vocal gymnastics are accompanied by an all-female band– ‘The Ladies in Waiting’, led by Musical Director Ellie Verkerk. You can also spot your favourite celebs in the audience as the Marlowe Theatre have demarcated the socially distanced seating with cardboard cut-outs of all the stars! To watch a modern pop musical about Henry VIII’s wives whilst sat next to Kit Marlowe was certainly an experience!

Six is showing at The Marlowe until 27th June 2021 and then can be caught up and down the country as the queens extend their reign through the summer and into next year!