I've always loved attending live events and when I moved to London, I gained a huge passion for West End musicals and shows. I've previously been lucky enough to attend a number of big shows, but with Covid, this has sadly been put on hold. The last one I went to was The Prince of Egypt in March, just before the start of the first lockdown, and I was so exhausted and poorly, I didn't thoroughly get to enjoy. Well, Luke and I finally went back to London for a few days and of course, I wanted to see a show. Six the Musical is one I've wanted to see for a couple of years now and I was so excited to see it in it's new permanent home.
Six the Musical shares a new take on the well known story about Henry the Eighth and his six wives. "From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, the six wives of Henry VIII take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power.".
It was a little crazy when we arrived because shortly before, I realised I didn't actually have the ticket. I booked through the official website and received confirmation of booking, which I assumed had the tickets on as most online bookings do, however in the small print it said you should receive a link to check in 48 hours prior, and then once that has been completed you will receive the tickets. Cue panic! We raced to the theatre, spoke to the staff and they said it actually happened quite a lot. Luckily, it was a quick situation to resolve and we skipped the Covid check in, which was also lucky as I hadn't downloaded the app. Note to anyone going in the near future, you need your Covid pass for all West End shows as of last week.
The show was honestly phenomenal. I'd read the premise but I hadn't done much research into the background, so I didn’t quite know what to expect. It wasn’t the story I anticipated...in a good way! I knew it was going to be about Henry the Eighths six wives and the retelling of their story; I wasn't expecting the huge girl crush I would get, nor the fierce woman power in the show. The entire cast was made up of just the six wives, with 4 female band members and a female technical director. I loved it!
The vocals of the cast were just phenomenal. The songs were catchy, engaging, highly energetic and emotional. I've been loving the soundtrack. I have to admit though, the recorded versions aren't actually as good as the live version. Of course, know I've seen the current actresses, I related the characters to them, so to hear it in different vocals is already strange, but they just don't have the same power or emotion behind them on the soundtrack. Still, the soundtrack has been on repeat ever since!
Likewise, the acting was superb. They each captured the essence of the portrayal in the song and I loved the individual character twerks. I found myself captivated to them all at different times. I also liked how they didn't go for cast they particularly looked like the historical figures, but instead took a contemporary approach.
Finally, the part I was so shocked about was the last song. They requested people stand up and get their phones out to record and take pictures. At first, I didn't think they were serious, but they were and it was so much fun to look back on, I only wish we'd recorded more. Throughout the show it took on almost a pantomime feel, asking for audience input, and speaking direct to the public. Turning the last song into a party just made it so special. It was lovely to see everyone have fun, stand up and dance!
I don’t say this often, but I would love to see it again. I think it's one of those shows where something new will always appear, and I think know knowing the story, I will be able to appreciate it in a new way. I don't have a single negative or bad thing to say about it. If you get the chance to go, go!
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