‘Her Story’ is becoming prominent in our current era – a vital step towards fleshing out a more nuanced perspective of history from the many women that have shaped and continue to shape our world. This is an exciting time historically for expanding the history books – Tudor England a significant part of British history characterised by King Henry VIII’s reign (1509-1547) and the formation of the Church of England. As well as the reign of his daughter, Queen Elizabeth I over a decade after his passing (1558-1603). Renowned for the fact that he married six times, which was unconventional for the time, this part of history is framed from the perspective of a victorious King Henry, however – seldom do we hear about the lives of those around him. Cue Toby Marlow’s and Lucy Moss’ much loved musical Six, placing the voices of his six wives at the fore – something that would have tapped into the zeitgeist in 2018, peaking interest – and with that, starting a chain reaction of looking at more women-led stories in this way!
History is flipped on its head here, in a fresh, of the moment, unapologetic retelling of a part of history that has gone on to shape how we currently live. Marlow and Moss dazzling with their critically acclaimed, multi-award winning, and most importantly – loved by the fans production! 90 minutes are gifted to the ensemble – Nikki Bentley’s Catherine of Aragon, Thao Therese Nguyen’s Anne Boleyn, Kayleigh McKnight’s Jane Seymour, Reca Oakley’s Anne of Cleves, Inez Budd’s Katherine Howard and Janiq Charles’ Catherine Parr uttering Marlowe and Moss’ tongue in cheek lines and lyrics with sass. Each queen channelling pop queens of the moment, connecting Millenial and Gen Z to a time of olde.
Moss and Jamie Armitage direct a punchy, pop fuelled, watch, one giving these often sidelined heroines depth – a movement I’m sure we’ll see a lot more of this century. History in action, we’re transported to Tudor England with much needed style and this is fun to engage with. Gabriella Slade’s modernised masculine/feminine fused take on Tudor regal fashion is one of the show’s signature components, boldly coloured costume pieces a very clever interpretation of the time period.
Whether you’re familiar with this part of history, or not, Six is the perfect way to spend a night out – an empowering production ushering in a world appreciative of women’s achievements.
Written by Lucy Basaba.
Six is currently showing until Sunday 28th April 2024 at the Vaudeville Theatre. To find out more about the production, visit here…
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