Listen up, let me tell you a story…
About the six wives of Henry VIII. But not the story you may have heard before, diminished to one word in that rhyme you’ll remember from school. No – Six The Musical, brought to Ventnor Fringe by the masterminds behind recent smash hits Grease, Sweeney Todd and Joseph (Curtain Call Creative), rewrites the narrative of the six wives of the infamous Tudor monarch in their own voices and distinct styles, reimagined as pop princesses vying for the audience to vote them as their favourite queen.
And let me tell you something – this show packed a royal punch! Impressive choreography, top-notch musicians, dazzling costumes and six teenagers who gave it their all.
Catherine of Aragon was played competently by Macie Edkins-Wherry, introducing the audience to Henry’s first wife. Engaging throughout, she drew the audience’s attention with her exemplary dancing and facial expressions, not dropping her energy once.
Esme Barclay-Jay brought comedy aplenty with her turn as Anne Boleyn, the rebellious and sassy queen. Her rendition of ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’ was a real highlight with plenty of audience sniggers at the double entendres, with her perfect delivery.
Carys Morgan sent goosebumps throughout the auditorium during her solo ‘Heart of Stone’, in her role as Jane Seymour. Her soaring vocals were akin to that of the professional who is on the cast recording, no mean feat for a young girl at the start of her bright future.
The Haus of Holbein was a brilliant number, introducing us to Ellen Careless as Anna of Cleves. Showcasing not only her dancing ability but also her comedy skill, Ellen helped tell the ultimate revenge story against Henry in ‘Get Down’.
Ava Cowan brought star quality in her performance as Katherine Howard. A triple threat, she handled her solo ‘All You Wanna Do’ with maturity and skill, in a song that starts as a catchy tune but has dark undertones and a harrowing conclusion.
Catherine Parr was brought to life by Lottie Paine. Her role really highlighted Lottie’s gorgeous voice and stage presence, and the harmonies from all of the queens in the reprise of ‘I don’t need your love’ were stunning.
Completing the cast was Jemima Rees as the swing – another talented young lady whose hard work and dedication to the show is noteworthy.
If you haven’t seen this show before, it’s hard to understand how much energy and stamina is needed from the cast and musicians. They literally don’t leave the stage for 80 minutes, and every number (bar one) is a high-energy, up-tempo pop song, combined with intricate harmonies and advanced choreography. The skill required to sing and dance to this level was on show throughout, again highlighting what a strong group of performers they all are.
The live band on-stage coupled with the pleasing aesthetic of lighting and costumes, added to the overall concert vibe. The audience seemed to lap up the performance and were left humming the tunes as they streamed out of the big-top venue.
What a great addition to Ventnor Fringe. The fact it was sold out and only on for one performance is such a shame as these girls and the creative team deserve to have more sell-outs. Watch this space for a re-run…
Reviewed by Bryony Bishop
IWtheatre 