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"Six" is a British pop musical written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss while they were studying for their final exams at Cambridge University. It tells the stories of the six wives of Henry VIII, as they compete to decide who will lead the group based on how much they suffered while married to Henry.
Synopsis
The show begins with the six Queens introducing themselves in chronological order through a pop song. They welcome the audience to the performance ("Ex-Wives"). They then inform the audience that the concert will feature a competition between the Queens based on who had the worst experience with their common husband, Henry VIII. The winner of the competition gets to be the lead singer of the band ("Ex-Wives (Reprise)"). Catherine of Aragon is the first contestant to perform, recounting that despite how loyal she had been to him during their relationship, Henry wished to annul his marriage to Aragon and move her into a nunnery when he began lusting after Anne Boleyn, much to her anger ("No Way"). Aragon then declares herself the winner; however, the other Queens mention Anne and how Henry's desire to be with her led him to annul their marriage ("The One You've Been Waiting For"). Anne ridicules Aragon about how Henry wanted to be with her instead, but she soon begins to complain about his infidelity and decides to flirt with other men to make him jealous, leading to her eventual arrest and execution ("Don't Lose Ur Head"). After her solo, Anne also proclaims herself the winner of the competition and begins to sing a second song "about the moment [she] found out Catherine of Aragon had tragically died". However, she is interrupted by the other Queens before she can even finish the first line. Jane Seymour announces that it is her turn to perform, but she is mocked for having had an easy time with Henry. She admits that while she may have been the one that Henry truly loved, she states that his love was conditional because she had produced a male heir. Despite this, Jane remained by Henry's side despite his many faults ("Heart of Stone").
The story then shifts as the Queens pretend to be members of Hans Holbein's painting studio, explaining how they make the women that he paints look beautiful for their portraits ("Haus of Holbein"). They parody a dating app by presenting a choice of three women for Henry to marry: Christina of Denmark, Amalia of Cleves, and Anna of Cleves, who is Amalia's elder sister. Henry chooses Anna of Cleves and the Queens are excited because they believe that the two will have a happy, long-lasting marriage ("Haus of Holbein (Playoff)"). However, their union is ultimately ill-fated as he decides to annul their marriage after meeting Anna in person due to her supposed non-resemblance to her portrait. Anna pretends to complain about how she is "forced" to live in a beautiful palace in Richmond as a result of the annulment and soon begins to boast about her riches and how she is able to do anything that she wishes ("Get Down"). The other Queens point out that Anna's life wasn't actually so that difficult and she ultimately ends up disqualified from the competition. During Katherine Howard's turn, the Queens belittle her for being "the least relevant Catherine". She retorts by mentioning flaws in the other Queens' reasons for winning before recounting her romantic history, having had many suitors even as a child. At first, Katherine brags about her attractiveness; however, she soon realises the emotional trauma and abuse she faced in these relationships and how they led to her beheading ("All You Wanna Do").
As the Queens continue to argue about who should win the competition, Catherine Parr attempts to put a stop to it by pointing out how the contest defines them solely by their connections to Henry rather than their individual accomplishments. The Queens mock her and refuse to listen to her, so Parr begins to tell her story, beginning with a letter to the love of her life explaining that she has to leave him because Henry wishes to marry her. She then recounts the accomplishments she made independently of Henry, such as how she was a writer and an advocate for women's rights ("I Don't Need Your Love"). The other Queens, realising how long they have let themselves be defined by their marriages to Henry, stop the competition and declare that they don't need his love to feel validated as people ("I Don't Need Your Love (Remix)"). With only five minutes left in the show, they decide to use the remaining time on stage to "rewrite" their stories and sing together as a group rather than as solo artists, writing their own happily ever after ("Six").
In live performances, the Queens perform an encore number called "Megasix", serving as a mashup of all of the songs in the show (minus "Haus of Holbein"), serving as the show's bows; the audience is encouraged by the Queens to film the number in most locations.
Characters
Guitarist
Bassist
Pianist
Drummer
Musical Numbers
- Ex-Wives - The Queens
- Ex-Wives (Reprise) - The Queens
- No Way - Catherine of Aragon & The Queens
- The One You've Been Waiting For - The Queens (Except Anne Boleyn)
- Don't Lose Ur Head - Anne Boleyn & The Queens
- Heart of Stone - Jane Seymour & The Queens
- Haus of Holbein - The Queens
- Haus of Holbein (Playoff) - The Queens †
- Get Down - Anna of Cleves & The Queens
- All You Wanna Do - Katherine Howard & The Queens
- I Don't Need Your Love - Catherine Parr & The Queens
- I Don't Need Your Love (Remix) - Catherine Parr & the Queens ††
- Six - The Queens
- Megasix - The Queens
- Playout - Ladies in Waiting
† Not included on any cast recording.
†† Included as part of I Don't Need Your Love on the London cast recording.
Current Productions
2023-25 West End Production
| 2023-25 West End Production | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| Vaudeville Theatre London, England |
17 October 2023 | February 2025 |
Nikki Bentley
Thảo Therese Nguyễn
Caitlin Tipping
Reca Oakley
Inez Budd
Janiq Charles
Gabriella Stylianou
Naomi Alade
Hannah Lowther
Meg Dixon-Brasil
Hana Stewart
Emma Jemima
Kelly Morris
Issie Osborne
Alice Angliss
Ella Ingram
Kayleigh McKnight
Natalie Pilkington
Danielle Rose
2023-24 Broadway Production
| 2023-24 Broadway Production | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| Lena Horne Theatre New York City, New York, USA |
5 December 2023 | December 2024 |
Khaila Wilcoxon
Storm Lever
Jasmine Forsberg
Olivia Donalson
Didi Romero
Gabriela Carrillo
Sierra Fermin
Jana Larell Glover
Jenny Mollet
Jessie Davidson
Wesley Carpenter
Kimi Hayes
Michelle Osbourne
Julia Schade
Elena Bonomo
Valerie Maze
Mariana Ramírez
Ayla Ciccone-Burton
Kristina Leopold
Cassie Silva
Zoe Jensen
2024-25 UK & International Tour
| 2024-25 UK & International Tour Dates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| Milton Keynes Theatre Milton Keynes, England |
24 September 2024 | 28 September 2024 |
| The Theatre at Solaire Manila, Philippines |
4 October 2024 | 20 October 2024 |
| Martini Plaza Gorningen, the Netherlands |
30 October 2024 | 3 November 2024 |
| Royal Theater Carré Amsterdam, the Netherlands |
6 November 2024 | 10 November 2024 |
| Sands Theatre Singapore |
14 November 2024 | 1 December 2024 |
| Stockton Globe Stockton-on-Tees, England |
17 December 2024 | 2 January 2025 |
| Ex Theater Roppongi Tokyo, Japan |
8 January 2025 | 26 January 2025 |
| Chichester Festival Theatre Chichester, England |
4 February 2025 | 8 February 2025 |
| Theatre Severn Shrewsbury, England |
11 February 2025 | 22 February 2025 |
| Theatre Royal Glasgow Glasgow, Scotland |
25 February 2025 | 1 March 2025 |
| Eden Court Inverness, Scotland |
4 March 2025 | 8 March 2025 |
| Birmingham Hippodrome Birmingham, Scotland |
11 March 2025 | 15 March 2025 |
| Everyman Theatre Cheltenham, England |
18 March 2025 | 22 March 2025 |
| Storyhouse Theatre Chester, England |
25 March 2025 | 29 March 2025 |
| King's Theatre Portsmouth Portsmouth, England |
1 April 2025 | 5 April 2025 |
| Bradford Alhambra Theatre Bradford, England |
8 April 2025 | 12 April 2025 |
| Regent Theatre Stoke, England |
15 April 2025 | 19 April 2025 |
| Waterside Theatre Aylesbury, England |
20 May 2025 | 24 May 2024 |
| Curve Theatre Leicester, England |
27 May 2025 | 31 May 2024 |
| Hull New Theatre Hull, England |
3 June 2025 | 7 June 2025 |
| Pavilion Theatre Rhyl, Wales |
1 July 2025 | 5 July 2025 |
| Leeds Grand Theatre Leeds, England |
8 July 2025 | 12 July 2025 |
| Embassy Theatre Skegness, England |
22 July 2025 | 26 July 2025 |
| His Majesty's Theatre Aberdeen, Scotland |
5 August 2025 | 9 August 2025 |
| Yvonne Arnaud Theatre Guildford, England |
26 August 2025 | 6 September 2025 |
| Hall for Cornwall Truro, England |
30 September 2025 | 4 October 2025 |
| Grand Opera House York, England |
14 October 2025 | 18 October 2025 |
| Edinburgh Playhouse Edinburgh, Scotland |
21 October 2025 | 25 October 2025 |
| Festival Theatre Great Malvern, England |
18 November 2025 | 22 November 2025 |
| Mayflower Theatre Southampton, England |
2 December 2025 | 6 December 2025 |
Billie Kerr
Yna Tresvalles
Liberty Stottor
Hannah Victoria
Lizzie Emery
Eloise Lord
Milly Willows
Erin Summerhayes
Lorren Santo-Quinn
Izzy Formby-Jackson
Lola Barber
Jess Williams
Yutong Zhang
Amanda Dal
2024-25 Australian Tour
| 2024-25 Australian Tour Dates | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Venue | Previews Begin | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| Comedy Theatre Melbourne, Victoria, Australia |
2 August 2024 | 7 August 2024 | 20 October 2024 |
| Theatre Royal Sydney Sydney, New South Wales, Australia |
25 October 2024 | 28 December 2024 | |
| Playhouse Theatre Brisbane, Queensland, Australia |
2 January 2025 | 9 Februrary 2025 | |
| The Civic Auckland, New Zealand |
February 2025 | ||
| Civic Theatre Newcastle, New South Wales, Australia |
April 2025 | ||
Kimberley Hodgson
Deirdre Khoo
Loren Hunter
Zelia Rose Kitoko
Chelsea Dawson
Giorgia Kennedy
Chiara Assetta
Gabriella Boumford
Thalia Smith
Cristina D'Agostino
Danielle Colligan
Ann Metry
Claire Healy
Kathryn Stammers
Claire Healy
Upcoming Productions
2024-25 North American "Boleyn" Tour
| 2024-25 North American "Boleyn" Tour Dates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| The Clemens Center Elmira, New York, USA |
8 November 2024 | 9 November 2024 |
| The National Theatre Washington, District of Colombia, USA |
12 November 2024 | 1 December 2024 |
| Emerson Colonial Theatre Boston, Massachusetts, USA |
3 December 2024 | 29 December 2024 |
| The Bushnell Hartford, Connecticut, USA |
31 December 2024 | 5 January 2025 |
| Fisher Theatre Detroit, Michigan, USA |
7 January 2025 | 12 January 2025 |
| Schuster Center Dayton, Ohio, USA |
14 January 2025 | 19 January 2025 |
| The Fabulous Fox St. Louis, Missouri, USA |
21 January 2025 | 2 February 2025 |
| Von Braun Center Concert Hall Huntsville, Alabama, USA |
4 February 2025 | 9 February 2025 |
| BJCC Concert Hall Birmingham, Alabama, USA |
11 February 2025 | 16 February 2025 |
| Soldiers and Sailors Memorial Auditorium Chattanooga, Tennessee, USA |
18 February 2025 | 23 February 2025 |
| Koger Center for the Arts Columbia, South Carolina, USA |
25 February 2025 | 2 March 2025 |
| Clowes Memorial Hall Indianapolis, Indiana, USA |
4 March 2025 | 9 March 2025 |
| Popejoy Hall Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA |
18 March 2025 | 23 March 2025 |
| McCallum Theatre Palm Desert, California, USA |
25 March 2025 | 30 March 2025 |
| Saroyan Theatre Fresno, California, USA |
1 April 2025 | 6 April 2025 |
| San Jose Center for the Performing Arts San Jose, California, USA |
22 April 2025 | 27 April 2025 |
| Keller Auditorium Portland, Oregon, USA |
29 April 2025 | 4 May 2025 |
| The Paramount Theatre Seattle, Washington, USA |
6 May 2025 | 11 May 2025 |
| Queen Elizabeth Theatre Vancouver, British Columbia, Canada |
13 May 2025 | 18 May 2025 |
| Southern Alberta Jubilee Auditorium Calgary, Alberta, Canada |
20 May 2025 | 25 May 2025 |
| Washington Pavilion Sioux Falls, South Dakota, USA |
28 May 2025 | 1 June 2025 |
| The Blaisdell Center Honolulu, Hawaii, USA |
17 June 2025 | 29 June 2025 |
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Taylor Sage Evans
Carlina Parker
Amaya White
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Japanese Tour
| Japanese Tour Dates | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| EX Theater Roppongi Tokyo, Japan |
31 January 2025 | 21 February 2025 |
| Misono-za Aichi, Japan |
28 February 2025 | 2 March 2025 |
| Umeda Arts Theater Osaka, Japan |
7 March 2025 | 16 March 2025 |
Emiko Suzuki
Sonim
Meimi Tamura
Maho Minamoto
Mahya Harada
Harumi
Eliana
Marie Sugaya
Airi Suzuki
Erika Toyohara
Sora Kazuki
Ruki Saito
Mei Nakamura
Shizupi
Aoi Tanaka
Raku Yamauchi
Polish Non-Replica Production
| Polish Non-Replica Production | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| Teatr Syena Warsaw, Poland |
25 October 2024 | 5 November 2024 |
| 28 December 2024 | 29 December 2024 | |
Olga Szomańska
Izabela Pawletko
Marta Burdynowicz
Małgorzata Chruściel
Anna Terpiłowska
Natalia Kujawa
Agnieszka Rose
Aleksandra Gotowicka
Marta Skrzypczyńska
Magdalena Czwojda
Katarzyna Garncarek
Monika Konecka
Joanna Purzycka
Joanna Dudkowska
Martyna Sołtysik
Agnieszka Szczepaniak
Marta Sobczak
Justyna Mikrut
Anita Zawadzka
Hungarian Non-Replica Production
| Hungarian Non-Replica Production | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| Madách Színház Budapest, Hungary |
28 October 2024 | 10 November 2024 |
Horányi Juli
Muri Enikő
Singh Viki
Herceg Erika
Hien
Veres Mónika
Horváth Mónika
Magyar Krisztina
Csonka Dóra
Baranyai Annamária
Zsitva Réka
Peller Anna
Kardffy Aisha
Gadó Anita
Gallusz Nikolett
Horváth Mónika
Magyar Krisztina
Csonka Dóra
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Czech Non-Replica Production
| Czech Non-Replica Production | ||
|---|---|---|
| Venue | Opening Date | Closing Date |
| JK Tyl Theatre Pilsen, Czech Republic |
1 February 2025 | 2025 |
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
TBA
Past Productions
- Original Student Production
- Original Arts Theatre Production
- 2019-23 West End Productions
- 2018-24 UK & International Tours
- 2020-23 Broadway Productions
- Pre-Broadway Tour
- North American "Aragon" Tour
- 2022-24 North American "Boleyn" Tours
- 2020-23 Australian Tours
- South Korean Production
- Canadian Production
- Bliss Cruise 1.0-7.0 Productions
- Breakaway Cruise 1.0-6.0 Productions
Cancelled Productions
Guides
Trivia
- Before deciding on the title Six, Toby and Lucy brainstormed many other possible names for the show.[1]
- They also considered the titles Sixth Harmony and Little Six, which are plays on popular girl groups Fifth Harmony and Little Mix.[2]
- While writing the show, Toby and Lucy considered adding Hans Holbein as a character, as well as including the queens' children as backing vocalists; however, they instead decided that the cast would be comprised of the queens alone.[2]
- For inspiration while writing the show, Toby and Lucy watched Beyoncé’s 2011 concert film Live at Roseland: Elements of 4.[2] This concert is often shown to the casts of the show during rehearsals.
- As stated in the synopsis, there is one joke song in the musical, Wearing Yellow to a Funeral; however, it is not an actual song, as Anne is cut off by the other queens after only singing a partial line.
- On 24 April 2020, Six released a video of every cast member of the show at the time performing the Ex-Wives/Six mashup. The Six portion of the video included 3000 fan videos as well.[3]
- The video concept was developed by Grace Mouat and Danielle Steers.
- Due to concerns surrounding COVID-19, all productions of the show temporarily closed in March 2020:
- In July 2020, a drive-in tour featuring the West End and 2019-20 UK Tour casts was announced; however, the tour was cancelled before it begun after several cities experienced a spike in COVID-19 cases.[4]
- The West End production briefly reopened in December 2020 at the Lyric Theatre, but soon closed again due to tier 3 COVID-19 restrictions in London.[5] It once again opened in May 2021.[6]
- The UK Tour production reopened in June 2021 in Canterbury,[7] though the Hull run was rescheduled to April 2022 due to several cast members testing positive for COVID-19.[8]
- The Broadway production initially closed on 12 March 2020, which was previously set to be their opening night. It did not resume previews until 17 September 2021, with their official opening night taking place on 3 October 2021, 18 months after the initial opening night in 2020.
- On 1 August 2021, Six had its first show ever in which none of the principal actresses performed; instead, all six roles were filled by alternates and swings.[9]
- On 9 November 2021 during the Broadway production, Six had its first ever performance in which every role was played by a performer of colour. The cast was comprised of Adrianna Hicks as Catherine of Aragon, Andrea Macasaet as Anne Boleyn, Keirsten Hodgens as Jane Seymour, Brittney Mack as Anna of Cleves, Samantha Pauly as Katherine Howard, and Anna Uzele as Catherine Parr.
- Nine days later on 18 November, the West End production also had its first performance in which every role was played by a performer of colour. The cast was comprised of Paisley Billings as Catherine of Aragon, Amanda Lindgren as Anne Boleyn, Claudia Kariuki as Jane Seymour, Dionne Ward-Anderson as Anna of Cleves, Tsemaye Bob-Egbe as Katherine Howard, and Meesha Turner as Catherine Parr.
- The principal cast of the 2022-23 North American Aragon Tour, which began performances on 29 March 2022 in Chicago, is the first principal cast to be fully made up of performers of colour.
- On 18 October 2023, during the 2022-2023 Broadway Production, the first performance where all six performers were played by black actors was held. The cast comprised of Hailee Kaleem Wright as Catherine of Aragon, Leandra Ellis-Gaston as Anne Boleyn, Kristina Leopold as Jane Seymour, Nasia Thomas as Anna of Cleves, Holli' Conway as Katherine Howard, and Taylor Iman Jones as Catherine Parr. Leandra Ellis-Gaston had to exit the performance after No Way due to an injury, meaning the performance was not officially concluded by a cast of black actors.
- Throughout Six's seven-year history, only seven performances have ever been cancelled for reasons unrelated to COVID-19; the 14 July 2019 evening performance of the West End production, the 21 June 2022 evening performance of the Broadway production, the 16 July 2023 matinee performance of the North American Boleyn Tour, the 28 October 2023 evening performance of the West End production, the 29 June 2024 matinee performance and both the 30 June 2024 matinee and evening performances of the West End production.[10][11]
- A billboard for the Broadway production of Six briefly appears during the opening scene of the 2021 film Spider-Man: No Way Home.
- On 26 April 2022, Six released the licensing rights for Six: Teen Edition in the United Kingdom and Ireland, allowing for non-replica school productions.[12] Not even half a year later, on 17 August 2023, the rights were released in North America.
- Productions are being planned for China.
References
- ↑
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 https://www.nytimes.com/2020/02/27/theater/six-broadway.html
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/B_XLOiZnlQ4/
- ↑ https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2020/jul/15/uk-drive-in-tour-musical-six-kenny-wax
- ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-55307512
- ↑ https://www.londontheatre1.com/theatre-news/six-the-musical-will-reopen-at-the-lyric-theatre-on-friday-21-may-2021/
- ↑ https://www.londontheatre1.com/theatre-news/six-full-casting-for-uk-ireland-tour-2021-22/
- ↑ https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-humber-57900778
- ↑ https://twitter.com/WestEndCovers/status/1421780534376681475
- ↑ https://www.facebook.com/sixthemusical/posts/649258222151410
- ↑ https://twitter.com/SixBroadway/status/1539387067045662720
- ↑ https://www.instagram.com/p/Cc0EnruICiX/
