Six at The Arts Theatre

After a sold out run in Edinburgh the Six Queens have hit the Arts Theatre. After seeing the show and loving it in Edinburgh and was keen to see it in London and check that it all wasn’t some musical theatre/pop dream…..luckily it was not and it was everything I had dreamed of and more in reality.

The show tells of Henry the 8th, six wives who are determined to reclaim history and tell the story from their side. They tell this story with a huge amount of sass, a lot of wit and a remarkable amount of historical insight.

This historical insight is something that particularly stood out on my second viewing and after several listening’s to the tracks on Spotify. On first listen these songs by Toby Marlow and Lucy Ross are intensely catchy crossover musical theatre/pop songs but the more you listen to these songs the cleverer you realise they are, and that is not hardship as they are now firm favourites on my Spotify playlist.

The show’s running time is a short 75 minutes but you feel far from short changed. Everything about the show is top notch, from the casting choices (more about this later), to the incredible band made up entirely of ladies (in waiting) and from the the spot on sound balance to the impressive light show.

The 6 Queens get the audience on side by the first chorus of the opening number. Their energy is infectious and I was cheering along as if I was at a Little Mix concert. Jarneia Richard-Noel, Millie O’Connell, Natalie Paris, Alexia McIntosh, Aime Atkinson and Maiya Quansah-Breed make up the 6 Queens. Each of them are stars in their own right with clear characters, styles and stunning vocals but together they are a powerhouse sextet and a force to be reckoned with. Their harmonies are spot on and they leave me longing for a new girl group with this amount of talent and personality to hit the charts. Think the Spice Girls with their distinct personalities and message of girl power, except these Queens can sing and dance!

Six really is the show to see at the moment and has everyone talking, for very good reason! Where else in the West End can you see an all female cast and band making sure that history is told from the woman’s point of view. Fun, empowering and clever – move over Elizabeth there are 6 new Queens on the block.

To get your hands on tickets for Six then visit their website. 

If you like this review you might also like my review for Heathers Musical and Eugenius, both at The Other Palace. Also you can read about my views on Six whilst it was at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival.