Kelly Bertrand went to Australia to check out SIX the Musical before it makes its way to our shores from February 27 – here’s what she thought, as well as her catchup with some of the cast.
‘What the… fuck is happening?!’
Welcome to watching SIX, a romping, raucous, offbeat pop-diva reality show-esque musical based on the plight of the six wives of Henry VIII.
Yeah – now you know why I’m sitting back in a theatre in Brisbane asking myself if I’m high, or drunk, or just in another bloody dimension watching six women trill and twirl around a stage as the compete with each other to figure out who had the worst time of it, being married to King Henry – you know, the guy who invented divorce.
Their ladies-in-waiting – the band – rock away in the back as Catherine of Aragon, Anne Bolelyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr each take to the stage to sing their way into our hearts and convince us that they should be the leader of the band because they went through more pain, suffering and indignation than the others (you’d think the two that had their heads chopped off would be at a strong advantage here, but you might be surprised).
Divorced, beheaded, died. Divorced, beheaded, survived – so the mnemonic goes to remember just how shit a time these six women had back in Tudor England.
SIX is a wild modern take on a wild historic story that aims to peek behind the male gaze of how we traditionally study Henry VIII’s wives – instead, delving deeper in to the woman behind the crown and the scandal.
After absolutely blitzing its way around the world since its inception at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival (that tells you a LOT about the vibe of this show!) this pop culture phenomenon headlines Te Ahurei To o Tāmaki Auckland Art Festival for three weeks, beginning in February.
I’ll tell you now, I loved it and I highly recommend you go and see it if you’re in Auckland. It’s the perfect musical to take your gals to and then head out for some cocktails to really delve deeper into each other’s love lives (bit easier to laugh about the app disasters when you think about what this lot had to put up with!?) or take your mum. Or, if you have a pre-teen or teen in your life, it’s actually a show loaded with a lot of good messages and takes on how a story can be told without context and with bias – and how, unfortunately, history always favours the male narrative.
Or if you like pop music and glitter, also go. Oh, also, for some reason, there’s a German EDM number right in the middle, so if that’s your vibe, also go.
Walking through the backstage halls, it’s like Ru Paul and Queen Elizabeth have had a baby – rhinestones, towering heels, carts of makeup, crowns, stacks of backup shoes – this show is a production – but one that, for all of its sleekness, remains quirky, upbeat and something just a little bit different.
Slightly underdressed but very enthusiastic, that’s me!
Says Loren Hunter, who plays Jane Seymour (died), “Out of all the shows that I’ve done, it’s the most creative freedom I have had, and I think it’s because the show in itself celebrates each of us individually, and it’s about us bringing as much of ourselves to the character as possible.”
Adds Deirdre Khoo, who portrays Anne Boleyn (the one you all know who lost her head), “We were given keywords at the top of rehearsals – mine was “chaos goblin”,” she laughs. “But how I interpret ‘chaos goblin’ is different how Loren might, so it’s there to guide us, but we all have our own interpretation.
“It’s a really fun show you know – we’re not saving lives here, we’re having fun!”
The queens, which also feature three swing performers who sub in for the first six on an as-needed basis and, impressively, know all six roles, are a super-tight bunch – says Kimberley Hodgson, who plays Catherine of Aragon, they’re a small company with lots of opportunities to bond. “We’re so blessed to have this company, and honestly I think it reflects on stage.”
The Aussie cast enjoy sleepovers at each other’s houses, travel together and explore the cities they’re performing in, and they can’t wait to visit Aotearoa – with all of them jazzed to pop down to Hobbiton while also taking in Auckland.
So, according to the queens, why should you go and see the show?
Says Kimberley, “This show will make you feel so wonderful and it will take you on a roller coaster of emotions – a lot of emotions that you probably wouldn’t even expect when you see the title of the show and what we’re about, you just don’t expect to be feeling the way that you do. And I think it’s a magical show in that it will make you walk away wanting more.”
SIX: From 27 February at The Civic, Auckland – get tickets here
