MUSICAL THEATRE
Book, Lyrics & Music by Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
At Comedy
Theatre, Melbourne, until August, 21 2022
Reviewer: Kate Herbert
Stars: ***** (5)
See my review of SIX the musical first published in The Age Arts online 24 June 2022 then in print Monday 27 June 2022.
Or read review below. KH
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| Loren Hunter,Chelsea Dawson, Phoenix Jackson Mendoza, Kala Gare, Kiana Daniele, Vidya Makan-Pic credit: James Morgan-Getty Images |
SIX sets the stage ablaze with its opening, rocking song, Ex-Wives, that introduces and gives voice to the six wives of Henry VIII – then proceeds to reframe and reimagine their “her-story” through a 21st century lens of modern gender politics and pop culture.
This outstanding, dynamic production, with musical repertoire inspired by pop divas including Beyonce, Adele, Shakira, Sia and girl groups, was conceived by talented UK duo, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss (book, lyrics, music), and is fiercely directed by Moss with Jamie Armitage. A tight, all-female, four-piece band, Ladies in Waiting, and evocative set (Emma Bailey) and lighting (Tim Deiling) complete the atmosphere.
“Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived” is one way to remember the wives, but the show is a pop concert-like collection of songs that suggest another. It illuminates their lives and marriages while mocking damning assumptions made by past historians. Six depicts the wives as heroines, though they were victims of trauma, abuse and imprisonment in Henry’s court.
The conceit for this episodic musical is the wives competing in a twisted popularity contest. The first wife, strong-willed Catherine of Aragon, is played with passion by Phoenix Jackson Mendoza and her rousing song No Way is a declaration of war on the king who divorces her and breaks England from Catherine’s beloved Roman Catholic church.
Kala Gare grabs the spotlight.Credit:James D Morgan / Getty Images
Infamous Anne Boleyn, trigger for the divorce and the rift in the church, is played by Kala Gare as an impudent, waspish young woman whose perky pop song, Don’t Lose Ur Head, is littered with modern text-speak.
Jane Seymour (Loren Hunter) portrays herself as the only queen Henry genuinely loved and Hunter’s warm, honeyed tones elevate her heartfelt love ballad, Heart of Stone.
Vivacious, brassy Kiana Daniele is German Anna of Cleves, and her feisty, razor-edged song Get Down reveals a woman who, despite being damned as ugly, survived after divorce to live a comfortable life.
Chelsea Dawson plays Katherine Howard, whose song All You Wanna Do is resonant of Britney Spears’ music and life, telling the story of a teenage girl’s hopes for love repeatedly dashed by predatory men.
Finally Catherine Parr (played by Shannen Alyce Quan on opening night) interrupts and challenges this “my trauma was bigger than yours” contest. Quan’s poignant, impassioned I Don’t Need Your Love features a vocal run that reaches a knock-out top note. Quan may be an understudy, but she has serious chops.
Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s crisp, vigorous choreography is fast-paced and sassy with plenty of hip bumps, pelvic rolls and sharp foot work, while Gabriellla Slade’s costumes feature gleaming bodices and skirts that echo Tudor attire, with stiff fabrics and sharp lines referencing 16th century armour for the women.
This pop-fuelled musical is ferocious, topical and resonates with contemporary audiences. A spontaneous standing ovation on opening night followed the finale, MegaSIX, a thrilling remix for this girl group of queens. This is a show that you cannot, must not miss.
Reviewed by Kate Herbert
This review first published in The Age Arts. See details and link to The Age at top of this post. KH
Cast:
Catherine of Aragon – Phoenix Jackson Mendoza
Anne Boleyn –Kala Gare
Jane Seymour – Loren Hunter
Anna of Cleves – Kiana Daniele
Katherine Howard – Chelsea Dawson
Catherine Parr – Shannen Alyce Quan (replacing Vidya Makan on opening night.)
Creative Team:
Director Lucy Moss and James Armitage
Choreography Carrie-Anne Ingrouille
Set Design Emma Bailey
Costume Design Gabriellla Slade
Lighting Design Tim Deiling
Produced in Australia by Louise Withers, Michael Coppel & Linda Bewick
By Arrangement with Kenny Wax, Andy Barnes & George Stiles
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