'SIX The Musical - an utterly uplifting, joyous, sharp, sassy smash hit show'

01 September 2023 , 17:01

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Dionne Ward Anderson as Anne of Cleves and the cast of SIX the Musical

Parenting trick number 942 is disguising vegetables by blending them into pasta sauce – tonight I’m at the educational equivalent of that. Trying to get my nine year old son out of summer holiday mode and ease him back into school mindset, I’ve brought him to SIX.

This award-winning West End musical is the story of Henry VIII’s wives, told from their perspective through songs so catchy, clever and comical that no kid will notice that the history lesson blended within. Sorry, did I say history? I meant HER-story, of course.

Indeed, just a few minutes in, one of the Queens has already quipped, “Remember us from your GCSEs?”

Put it this way, if all history lessons were like SIX, I’d be Lucy Worsley at this point. These Queens – in all senses of the word – are like the Tudor Spice Girls, knocking out belting number after belting number, each one better, stronger, more infectious than the last, while simultaneously executing – intended – whip-tight choreography. Fiercely talented, they’re like Destiny’s Child if every member had been Beyonce.

"It's an utterly uplifting, joyous, sharp, sassy, sisterly, funny, smart, heart-breaking, important, silly, high energy, quirky, original, barnstorming smash hit of a show"

I’ve never seen my boy more engaged and mesmerised by any performance in his life. It’s such a cliché to say that as each woman sang their solo number they had the whole audience in the palm of their hand, but they absolutely did. During the emotional quiet parts you can hear a crown drop; during the upbeat numbers the audience members are cheering and whooping, dancing in their seats, completely caught up in the magic.

'We tried Hello Fresh and Gousto - they're tasty but we instantly regretted it'

One by one, the Queens tell their stories through song and dance, the bits you know well and the bits you had no idea of until now. It’s all wrapped up at the end with a neat knee in the patriarchy’s balls, a knowing wink, and a finale song which brings the house down. Or up, actually, on to our feet to give the most well deserved standing ovation I’ve ever experienced.

Rhianne Louise McCaulsky plays Catherine of Aragon, the first wife of Henry VIII

Koko Basigara as fifth wife Catherine Howard

SIX is an utterly uplifting, joyous, sharp, sassy, sisterly, funny, smart, heart-breaking, important, silly, high energy, quirky, original, barnstorming smash hit of a show.

And as we walk to the station afterwards to catch our train home, my son stops humming the songs to tell me he never actually realised how long Henry VIII was married to his first wife, Catherine of Aragon – a whopping 24 years – so it’s a wonder he had time for another five spouses after that. We are literally having a conversation about history in a completely natural, unforced way, which we’re both enjoying. Job done, and done.

Overall, out of ten, I give this show SIX.

Million .

Tickets for the West End and UK Tour are available well into 2024, see sixthemusical.com for details.

Polly Hudson