Six At Festival Theatre, Edinburgh Review

Reviewed by Lynsey

It was the first night of the UK & Ireland Tour and what a night it was. Tom Marlow and Lucy Moss have done a fantastic job in creating a very original musical to tell the story of Henry VIII’s wives. But it’s not as you may remember it from school. This production tells the tale by way of a 21st century girl band. Using pop music as an inspiration the “Queens” each tell their sad story of their life struggles and how they came to marry the same man and the consequences of it. Having the other queen’s join in roasting each other with their witty banter.

The “Queens’” presence on stage was powerful and electrifying. Each personality shining through to give a very individual performance but at the same time as no one Queen taking centre stage. However, Jennifer Caldwell as the famous Anne Boleyn did really stand out for me. Especially her solo “Don’t lose ur head” which was just fabulous and funny. But the songs sung by all the queens were clever, on trend and well performed. The show was comical, light-hearted even while touching on the tragedies which are still today very important and topical issues.

The Ladies in Waiting aka the all-female band were also fantastic. It was a great to see girls holding their own on the drum’s, guitar and bass. It fitted well with the ethos of the musical.

And how can I not mention the stunning outfits – they were gorgeous – very pop iconic with a nod to Tudor. I just loved the confidence of Anna of Cleves in her outfit. The whole show screams Girl Power. It was silly, full of fun and extremely creative. If only my history classes had been more like this!

The Festival Theatre was the perfect venue for the show. It is a modern very spacious theatre with a few bars to choose from which would provide a nice space to socialise before and during the interval of the show. However, the show only ran for approximately 1 hour 20 minutes with no interval, so I never got to take advantage of it this time. Being in the city centre it also has an array of bars and restaurants around it for pre and post show drinks and food. It is easily accessible by public transport and is surrounded by on street parking however spaces close by can at times be difficult to find.

Being back at the Theatre was great. It was nice to see everyone enjoying themselves and this musical certainly provided that. By the end everyone was on their feet joining in, which in my opinion is the sign of a very happy audience. The “Queens” also looked like they were having fun and enjoying the night.
I had a great night celebrating the life of some iconic woman and would thoroughly recommend to friends for a fun girl’s night out with or without the boys. I would give this creative and very original musical 5 out of 5.

Rating: 5/5

The show is on from 15 March 2022 until 26 March 2022

Tickets cost from £25.50 (ticket prices include a contribution to the Theatres Development Fund)

To book tickets please visit SIX – Capital Theatres or phone the box office on 0131 529 6000