Expert Review: A Revolutionary Musical Experience

4.8
★★★★★

Expert Rating

The Verdict

SIX is nothing short of a theatrical revolution - a 75-minute pop concert that transforms Henry VIII's six wives from historical footnotes into empowered pop stars with their own stories to tell. This is musical theatre for the TikTok generation, combining fierce vocals, contemporary choreography, and songs that will be stuck in your head for weeks.

What Makes It Special

  • Pop Concert Format: No traditional story structure - it's a concert where each queen gets her moment to shine with her own original pop anthem.
  • Modern Relevance: Takes 500-year-old history and makes it feel urgently contemporary, addressing themes of feminism, power, and identity.
  • Incredible Vocals: Six powerhouse female performers delivering pop perfection with live band accompaniment.
  • Perfect Length: At 75 minutes with no interval, it's perfectly paced - long enough to tell their stories, short enough to leave you wanting more.

Perfect For

Anyone aged 10-100! Particularly popular with teens and young adults who love pop music, but the clever writing and stellar performances appeal to all ages. Perfect for introducing young people to musical theatre or for experienced theatregoers wanting something refreshingly different.

Everything You Need to Know

History Reimagined as Pop Concert

What if Henry VIII's six wives had formed a pop group? That's the brilliant premise of SIX. Each queen gets to tell her story through her own pop anthem, competing to see who had the worst time being married to Henry. It's part history lesson, part pop concert, part feminist reclamation.

The Revolutionary Format

  • No traditional plot - it's structured like a pop concert
  • Each queen introduces herself and performs her signature song
  • Modern costumes inspired by pop stars like Beyoncé, Ariana Grande, and Nicki Minaj
  • The audience becomes the concert crowd, cheering and applauding
  • History told from the women's perspective, not Henry's
  • Empowering message about reclaiming your own narrative

Meet the Queens and Their Anthems

  • Catherine of Aragon - "No Way" - A defiant anthem about refusing to be cast aside (inspired by Beyoncé)
  • Anne Boleyn - "Don't Lose Ur Head" - A sassy pop banger about keeping your confidence (inspired by Lily Allen)
  • Jane Seymore - "Heart of Stone" - A haunting ballad about love and loss (inspired by Adele)
  • Anna of Cleves - "Get Down" - An empowering dance track about independence (inspired by Nicki Minaj)
  • Katherine Howard - "All You Wanna Do" - A deceptively upbeat song with a serious message (inspired by Britney Spears)
  • Catherine Parr - "I Don't Need Your Love" - A powerful finale about self-worth (inspired by Emeli Sandé)

Creative Team: Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, who created the show while students at Cambridge University. The youngest writing team ever to have a musical in the West End.

Practical Information

Show Times

  • Tuesday-Saturday: 7:30pm
  • Wednesday & Saturday: 2:30pm matinee
  • Sunday: 3:00pm (selected dates)
  • No performances: Mondays

Getting There

  • Tube: Charing Cross (3 mins), Embankment (5 mins)
  • Train: Charing Cross Station
  • Bus: Routes 6, 9, 11, 13, 15, 23 to Strand
  • Parking: NCP Bedfordbury or Q-Park Covent Garden

What to Expect

  • Concert-style atmosphere - audience participation encouraged
  • Standing ovations are common and expected
  • Merchandise available including crown headbands
  • Perfect for social media - photos allowed before show and at curtain call