First, new musical SIX took the Edinburgh Festival and the West End by storm, now we hear tracks from the studio cast recording have hit 40,000 streams a day, reaching over 3.5 million in total.
If you haven’t seen it yet, and I must confess, I haven’t, the producers describe it as “a concert-style show with a phenomenal all-female band”.
The plot concerns the six wives of Henry VIII who “take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into a 75-minute celebration of 21st century girl power. From Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses, these Queens may have green sleeves but their lipstick is rebellious red!”
Theatre award judges have certainly shared their enthusiasm. This year the show won Best Ensemble in a Play or Musical in the 2018 BroadwayWorld Awards and has been nominated for 6 Whatsonstage Awards including Best Musical, Best Original Cast Recording, Best Choreography, Best Lighting & Best Costumes and been nominated for 6 Off West End Awards, including Best New Musical, Best Musical Production and Best Ensemble. The new soundtrack album was nominated Best UK Cast Recording in The Curtain Up Show Album of The Year Awards 2018.
The show has been taking a break from the Arts Theatre over Christmas to make room for Simon Callow’s one man recitation of A CHRISTMAS CAROL but it’s scheduled to return and 50,000 seats are now on sale for a 16-week season from Thursday 17th January - Sunday 5 May 2019. Apparently some performances are already sold out.
The original cast are all returning and here’s the run down:
Jarneia Richard-Noel (Catherine of Aragon) The Color Purple in Concert (Cadogan Hall).
Millie O’Connell (Anne Boleyn) Thoroughly Modern Millie (UK tour) and 42nd Street (was understudy Peggy Sawyer - Theatre Du Chatelet, Paris).
Natalie Paris (Jane Seymour) Sunday in the Park with George (Louise - Menier Chocolate Factory).
Alexia McIntosh (Anna of Cleves) Godiva Rocks (Rosa - Belgrade Theatre).
Aimie Atkinson (Katherine Howard) In The Heights (Daniela - Kings Cross Theatre) and Zorro the Musical (originating the lead role of Luisa - UK tour).
SIX has been directed by Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage, with choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille. The set Designer is Emma Bailey, the Costume Designer Gabriella Slade and the Lighting Designer is Tim Deiling. SIX is produced by Kenny Wax, Global Musicals and George Stiles.
With the Almeida’s production of Richard II, starring Simon Russell Beale stripped back to 90 minutes and getting rave reviews there’s never been a better time to encounter one of Shakespeare’s most poetic plays.