With SIX the Musical now a worldwide sensation, the musical theatre hit has smashed all expectations. In less than a decade, the show, conceived by university students Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, has gone from an Edinburgh Fringe pet project to international staple of theatrical genius, playing simultaneously in half a dozen locations worldwide, and becoming one of the top modern musicals, rivalling even Hamilton. But now SIX has gone further than ever before, hitting cinema screens across the nation and becoming the best opening day numbers for a musical ever, and even eclipsing locations of the recorded Taylor Swift Eras Tour. So does it live up to expectations? Simply, yes.
Filmed at London’s Vaudeville Theatre and featuring the returning original cast of SIX from 2019, the musical tells the story of Henry VIII’s wives, each vying to lead the newly-formed band by proving that they had the toughest experience with the Tudor monarch, all through the medium of song. Each queen, represented by a distinct vocal style, colour and thematic costume, takes it in turns to recount their woes and fight the others to be named leader.
It is no secret that I love SIX. I have seen the musical twice in-person, once at the Vaudeville and once at Sheffield’s Lyceum Theatre, and have listened to both the West End and Broadway soundtrack many more times than I can count! And to say I had goosebumps watching the queens emerge from the white smoke, pluck up their notes and simply bring the house down is a huge understatement! This is the first musical theatre pro-shot recording I have seen in a cinema, and it did not disappoint!
It is also the first time I have seen this cast as any of their respective queens, and their position as the inaugural queens is only matched by their skill. Each portrays their queens fantastically and the chemistry between each of them both on-stage and off-stage is clear to see. Whilst the entire cast are phenomenal, a special mention has to go to Aimie Atkinson as Howard and Millie O’Connell as Boleyn, my personal favourite performances and the reason these two queens are firmly my picks.
Each queen is adorned with Gabriella Slade’s now-legendary costume design, and this looks fantastic on film, bringing you closer to the smallest details that can often be missed when in a theatre, but now at the forefront in all their glory. Slade is the unsung seventh queen; never on-stage but ever-present in every second of this show.
But with a pro-shot comes a new factor that can be explored – cinematography. The show, which was filmed over four performances, looks phenomenal. The camerawork, editing and cinematography is stunning, with several moments making me audibly gasp in the silent cinema. The close-ups behind each queen as they say their first words, for each their fate at the hands of Henry VIII, the transition to a mobile phone, found-footage style at a key moment and more, this brings you closer than ever to this magical production. And the inclusion of a short documentary before the screening recounting the show’s history and with interviews with each queen, you feel a connection unlike ever before.
SIX The Musical Live! is unmissable. Whether you’ve seen the show previously or this is your first introduction, it is a prime feature of a pro-shot done correctly, highlighting unseen elements and bringing it to nationwide audiences, particularly those unable to travel to the West End to experience it. Whilst it can never replace the feeling of seeing the production live, it is a mastery of theatrical cinema, and it needs to make its way to streaming and/or DVD as soon as possible, because it is captivating like never before, and I need to watch it on loop!
Rating: ★★★★☆
SIX The Musical Live! was released in U.K. cinemas on April 6th
