"A masterclass in merging history with the 21st century, especially in regards to costume" I saw SIX most recently and the thought behind each costume and it's specific redesigns by Gabriella Slade for the west end to in her words give "each Queen a unique silhouette." The cast had such high energy and my favourite Queen Kathrine Howard, I couldn't have wished to be played any better than by Inez Budd.
Prior to seeing SIX on stage, it was not a show that I had properly engaged with. I think this is because I tend to prefer shows that are more traditional with more emotional depth, however there are always exceptions of course. After finding out I would have the opportunity to see this show I made it my mission to find out plenty about this show and to know the lyrics of course! I was surprised at the interesting and feminist point of view that this show was written from. It was a fresh take on a well known and loved historical tale.
I saw the first show of the day. The show runs without an interval and is shorter than any other musical I've seen (with a running time of 1 hour and 40 minutes.) It would be better to define the environment and atmosphere as similar to a pop concert rather than a west end musical, however it is certainly a different experience that can hold the attention span of all ages. I think the show aims to retain it's high energy throughout a vocally and physically intensive show. That is reliant on so few actors. This makes it fantastic because by the end the audience knows every single cast member well and with so few cast members everyone in the show gives it their all.
The songs in SIX work to appeal to an audience from a historical stand point and look to engage a modern audience with modern pop style music. Despite the high energy of the show it is ensured that there is a mixture of song types. From heart of stone as an emotional and sad song to All you wanna do as a song that can be performed with depth. Then finally of course probably the most well known and loved of the Queen's individual songs, Don't loose Ur head.
I would summarise SIX as a unique and contemporary take on history and modern musical theatre. It is an ideal show for a regular theatre goer to change it up a bit and a brilliant show for those who are less familiar with musical theatre and more so pop music as SIX offers something a little bit different. The three words I would use to describe SIX would be zealous, amusing and novel. As it portrays the Queen's as no longer 'just one word in a stupid rhyme' that most people know the SIX Queen's from. Definitely a show I would recommend seeing with others to keep the energy high. An overall experimental musical that is worth seeing and creating an individual opinion on.
Image: SIX the musical cast from the 2019 UK tour.