Tag Archives: Gabriella Slade

SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE

★★★★

In Cinemas

SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE

In Cinemas

★★★★

“captures all the magic of a live show, while also allowing the audience to view all of the incredible detail that’s gone into making Six what it is”

It’s the pipeline that every young, Fringe theatre-maker in the country dreams about — from Edinburgh Festival Fringe to West End sensation. Not only has Six accomplished those heights, but it’s also enjoyed a very successful Broadway transfer (even with that classic 2020 hiccup that we all love talking about), an Australian tour, a stint on Norwegian Cruise Lines, and endless other international tours in the works. Its original West End cast, along with one of their understudies, have even gone on to start their own girl group, SVN — and yes, that is “seven” stylized — and rightly so. Together, this cast are an absolute powerhouse. And now they’ve been immortalized as the iconic Queens of Six on film.

Having never seen the stage musical before, I went in with very little knowledge on the show itself. The premise is simple enough — the six wives (ex-wives, they wish to remind us) of Henry VIII have gathered to tell us their stories and to ask us… which one of us had it worst? One would think it’s pretty difficult to compete with being beheaded à la Anne Boleyn and Katherine Howard, but the truth of the matter is a bit more complicated than that. In an effort to help us understand each of their individual tragedies, they each decide to treat us to something of a pop-solo-slam about what Henry put them through. But this is no straightforward sob story. Each Queen seeks to retake some control of her own narrative.

Six is clearly a smash-hit for a reason. The songs, written by the show’s creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, are catchy and clever, as are the asides written for each Queen between the ballads. The costumes, designed by Gabriella Slade, are not only gorgeous, but thoughtful in the way that they compliment each Queen. The message is heart-warming, but it definitely plays it a bit safe, as musicals tend to do — it’s entry-level, “girl power” feminism, but it serves as a great way in for young viewers who need to hear that message.

The real meat of the thing though, is the experience that the live film offers. It captures all the magic of a live show, while also allowing the audience to view all of the incredible detail that’s gone into making Six what it is. It also serves to showcase the individual performance of each stunning Queen (the original West End cast of Jarnéia Richard-Noel, Millie O’Connell, Natalie Paris, Alexia McIntosh, Aimie Atkinson and Maiya Quansah-Breed). Each one gets her moment in the spotlight, of course — and each deserves to have her performance preserved in this way. The direction by Liz Clare is absolutely commendable, it’s dynamic, exciting, and extremely engaging – and most importantly, it does the show justice.

This is a pro-shot that will undoubtedly offer widespread access to a culturally important West End show that many folks might otherwise never get to see — and if that’s not an incredible rewrite of theatre history, I don’t know what is.



SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE

In Cinemas

Reviewed on 2nd April 2025

by Stacey Cullen

Images © Universal Pictures UK

 


 

 

Previous ‘In Cinemas’ review:

MACBETH | ★★★★ | January 2025

 

 

SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE

SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE

SIX THE MUSICAL LIVE

Six

Six

★★★★

Vaudeville Theatre

Six

Six

Vaudeville Theatre

Reviewed – 9th November 2021

★★★★

 

“a sensational show … the script sizzles with wit”

 

Does Six need introducing? Is there anyone at this point who isn’t aware of the musical phenomenon that’s snowballed massively in popularity since 2018, resulting now in its permanent fixture at the Vaudeville Theatre? Probably not. Its simple but effective and easily marketable concept is what propelled the show so far, after all. But, three years on, does it still stand up, stand out, and hook you in?

For those unfamiliar with the premise (both of you), Six sees Henry VIII’s wives brought together on stage. They decide to perform for the audience in turn, each trying to prove that they were the wife who had it the worst. They all rise to the challenge, belting out anthems to the audience about the hardships they suffered, in what feels more like a concert than a run-of-the-mill musical: the band (led superbly by Lauren Hopkinson) are prominently on stage for the whole performance, the costumes (Gabriella Slade) look like they were stolen straight out of the wardrobe of the latest pop icon’s arena tour, and the set (Emma Bailey) and lighting (Tim Deiling) are clearly invoking the feeling of being at a gig. It makes for a spectacle for the senses which frequently dazzles.

The cast are also clearly having an absolute blast. Under the direction of Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, they work stupendously well together, quickly establishing defined characters through bickering interactions between songs and generating a rapport that’s a delight to watch. The standouts were undoubtedly Cherelle Jay and Alexia McIntosh, who in this performance played Anne Boleyn and Anna of Cleves respectively. Jay’s song, ‘Don’t Lose Ur Head’ is performed with enrapturing charm and cheekiness, while McIntosh’s smugness and interplay with the audience in ‘Get Down’ will leave your face hurting from the grin that’ll be plastered on it. The vocals from all the cast are also jaw-on-the-floor fantastic, with Hana Stewart (Catherine Parr in this performance) being especially exceptional.

Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss have crafted a sensational show together: the music would feel right at home in the charts but never forgets to serve the characters above all else, and the script sizzles with wit. There are some moments towards the end when it feels a little student-y, but it’s tremendously easy to overlook when the rest of the show is so joyous. Six is still totally superlative, and I expect it will continue to be for many years to come.

 

Reviewed by Ethan Doyle

Photography by Pamela Raith

 


Six

Vaudeville Theatre until 1st May 2022

 

Previously reviewed at this venue this year:
Constellations | ★★★★ | August 2021

 

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