Theatre / Reviews
Review: Six, Bristol Hippodrome – ‘Get to know the real queens’
From just one word in a rhyme, the six wives of Henry VIII all have their turn in the spotlight in Six, the Broadway smash hit currently playing at the Bristol Hippodrome.
Defined for the last 500 years by their marital status, Six offers Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr the chance to set the historical record straight.
Don’t expect complete historical accuracy but do expect these six queens to put on a rollickingly royal show, with Henry nowhere to be seen
If you’re also expecting a traditional musical, probably best to alter those expectations.
The Hippodrome used to host as many concerts as theatrical productions, and Six is more of a pop show: just with the vocalists being familiar names, albeit from the sixteenth century.
“Everybody chill, it’s totes God’s will,” sings Anne Boleyn (played by Jennifer Caldwell) in Don’t Lose Ur Head, as she tells her tale of life with Henry.
Along the way, there are also references to everyone from Leviticus to Hans Holbein in a particularly memorable Tudor-Europop mashup.
You already know the rhyme. Now get to know the real queens.
Six is at Bristol Hippodrome until Saturday. For tickets and more information, visit www.atgtickets.com/shows/six/bristol-hippodrome
Main photo: Pamela Raith Photography
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