From Tudor queens to the queens of pop, SIX tells the story of the six wives of King Henry VIII, but this time with a her-story rewrite. As the queens gather together for a girl band power ballad pity party, they lament over the one thing they have in common: the trauma they faced at the hands of Henry VIII. 

Conceived by geniuses Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss and directed by Moss and Jamie Armitage, SIX is structured as a pop concert, as opposed to typical musical theater style, and is presented a la reality show competition. After their dazzling, stuck-your-head-for-days opening number “Ex-Wives,” the queens explain the rules of the show. They will each get a chance to sing about their marriage to Henry (accompanied by backing vocals from the others) before the audience votes on who will be the group’s lead singer. The only catch is that the winner will be the queen most egregiously wronged by their philandering ex-husband. 

As each queen sings about her fate (Divorced! Beheaded! Died! Divorced! Beheaded! Survived!), her musical style references that of female pop stars from today. 

First up is Catherine of Aragon (Gerianne Pérez) with a Beyoncé and Shakira inspired performance of “No Way.” With a nightclub beat and Latin-inspired musical undertones, Pérez gives an explosive performance full of fire and confidence that will be a tough act to follow. That is, until Zan Berube steps into the spotlight as Anne Boleyn (inspired by Lily Allen and Avril Lavigne) with her number “Don’t Lose Your Head.” Berube strikes the perfect combination of sexy and cute, easily mixing edgy pop growls with pretty, giggly, musical theater notes. Her ability to entertain is infectious as she effortlessly combines comedic physicality with cheeky jabs at the other queens throughout the show. 

Amina Faye takes things in a different direction as Jane Seymour, channeling her inner Adele and Sia. Her number “Heart of Stone” is perhaps the most traditionally “theater” song in the show as Faye belts out a passionate, goosebump-raising ballad of love and loss. Comparatively, Terica Marie vibrantly raps Anna of Cleves’ version of “Get Down,” pulling inspiration from Rihanna and Nicki Minaj as she rejoices in her divorce and freedom to live in luxury as she pleases. 

Aline Mayagoitia will break your heart as Katherine Howard, inspired by the hyper sexualization of Britney Spears and Ariana Grande. Her number “All You Wanna Do” recalls the story of a child abused and cruelly forced into adulthood. As she comes face to face with Howard’s lost innocence, Mayagoitia presents perhaps the most emotionally complex character arc in the show, artfully bringing a balance of sexy pop princess and broken little girl full of longing to her performance. 

Last up is Catherine Parr (Sydney Parra) in her Alicia Keys and Emeli Sandé inspired number “I Don’t Need Your Love.” As her song builds in passion and intensity, Parra brings the strength and power of the women’s movements throughout history, wrapping this story of female autonomy up with a bow (on in this case, a rhinestone studded belt). 

The costumes in SIX are a character all their own in a colorful, space age inspired, bedazzled win for costume designer Gabriella Slade. Full of delicate nods to each queen’s story (pants for Catherine Parr, a micro mini skirt for Katherine Howard, and a modest, flowing dress for Jane Seymour are just a few examples), Slade’s costumes make exquisite use of color (girlish pink, envious green, and unapologetic red) and style to create truly artistic masterpieces. 

Joined onstage by the enviable four person band, (depicted as the ladies-in-waiting), these six women have created a joyous, exuberant spectacle. With choreography from Carrie-Anne Ingrouille and impeccable lighting, sound, and scenic design work from Tim Deiling, Paul Gatehouse and Emma Bailey (respectively), SIX proves itself to be a tour-de-force. But perhaps even more importantly, while each number is bold, proud, and charismatic, Marlow and Moss have managed to successfully interlace hidden (and not so hidden) undertones about the struggles women face and the chokehold men still cling to as they wrestle for social control. 

SIX will run at the Durham Center for the Performing Arts through Sunday, July 2, 2023. Tickets can be purchased here. The production runs for approximately 80 minutes with no intermission. Please be advised that this production utilizes theatrical haze and bright lights. Not recommended for children under 12 years of age, and parental discretion is advised. Children under the age of six will not be allowed at this performance. 

All photo credit to Joan Marcus