Divorced, Beheaded and now Live in Concert… introducing the latest unlikely supergroup, Six - the wives of Henry VIII. Jonathan Penney reviews:

The pretense of Six is that each of Henry VIII’s past queens is fed up of being stuck in their ex-husband’s shadow, so they’ve combined to prove how there is more to them than just a man. Their stories may be set in the 1400s, but Six brings these historical women into the modern day with music that would easily fit within an arena tour of today’s major music artists.

Upbeat anthems are mixed with soulful ballads in a powerful score that makes the audience want to leap to their feet and dance along. The soundtrack of this musical perfectly combines historical facts with a modern backing track, so the audience leave with a learning experience as well as a memorable theatrical one. Starting out with ‘Ex Wives’, each queen competes to be the audience favourite. Each wife has their own opportunity to inform the world about their past life and each individually delivers pitch-perfect renditions of how tragic that life was.

A particular favourite is the emotional tune of Jane Seymour (Natalie Paris) performing ‘Unbreakable’, which tells the audience how she died during childbirth and never got to greet her newborn son, Edward. This song alone shows the range that Six covers in its music – heartfelt expressions of sadness are combined with sassy, buoyant anthems ensuring that the score doesn’t become stale.

Each individual queen superbly fits their role, and each receives an opportunity to showcase their talented voices as well as blending together in a united girl group. The talent on stage during Six is the backbone of the performance – the show allows each actresses to shine, making Six even more appealing to watch. With both their combined voices and individual talents, this grouping is a serious powerhouse of vocals that blows audiences away time and time again.

The costume design is also updated to fit this new modern theme. It takes major influence from what these notable women used to wear, but still portrays them in sleek, hip outfits, further reinstating the idea that this is a concert and they are here to entertain.

Six is a powerful show that leaves audiences in awe of the talented cast, as they perform jaw-dropping tracks that have been perfectly staged in a concert setting. The informative lyrics, diverse music, talented cast and modern staging are only a handful of reasons why this show is a pure spectacle.

 

 

★★★★★

Six runs at Underbelly George Square as part of Edinburgh Festival Fringe 2018 until 27 August 2018. For further information, please visit the venue website.

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