Woman power vs Henry VIII
King Henry VIII of 16th century England is remembered in history for many things, not least for his being a jerk when it came to women. He married six times, made his current squeeze queen, beheaded two of them, and cast aside the royal partner when he grew tired of her and lusted for another.
The six queens who ruled for a time were Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr. One problem historians have faced is that there is a lot of information about Catherine of Aragon and Anne Boleyn, but much less about the four others. Boleyn apparently reigned as queen for 1,000 days, and some years ago there was a Hollywood film about her titled “Anne of a Thousand Days.”
Boleyn was one of those who incurred the king’s wrath and was beheaded. The other victim was Catherine Howard, and the scuttlebutt (“a genuine Tudor source”) is that on the night of the execution, she “practiced placing her head on the executioner’s block to prepare herself for the event.”
This is the historical background of GMG Productions’ “Six the Musical,” the hit show from London’s West End now playing at The Theatre at Solaire, Parañaque City, until Oct. 20. The six wives of Henry VIII have morphed into rock stars, caparisoned in period costumes while singing and dancing up a storm in 21st-century fashion.
The play was written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. It is an all-woman production, with six dancers-singers-actresses and four rock musicians. The six queens are Billie Kerr (Catherine of Aragon), Yna Tresvalles, a Filipina American (Anne Boleyn), Liberty Stottor (Jane Seymour), Hannah Victoria (Anna of Cleves), Lizzie Emery (Katherine Howard) and Eloise Lord (Catherine Parr).
Power performances
The musicians, called “ladies in waiting,” are Yutong Zhang (musical director), Amanda Dal (drums), Lola Barber (guitar), and Jess Williams (bass). Direction is by Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage, with set design by Emma Bailey, choreography by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, costume design by Gabriella Slade and lighting design by Tim Deiling.
The gala night held recently was a full house, with the audience frequently roaring approval. There was great rapport between performers and audience, despite the rapid delivery of lyrics which sometimes obscured the message, at least for this super-senior who is a bit hard of hearing.
Some significant lines stood out. “We wanna rewrite history.” “He chopped off my head,” complained Boleyn (Tresvalles). “I don’t need your love. I have a choice…”
The flair and stamina of the “six wives” were enhanced by strong support from the musicians, the dazzling display of lights, the set design which loomed like a giant disco with nine towers in the background and the pulsating choreography. There was no intermission in the 90-minute show, with its nonstop bravura dancing, singing, music-making and emoting.
At the end the triumphant “I don’t need your love …” became a battle cry for the women, leading to a rousing, final production number as the music soared.
“It’s all about empowerment of women,” a “Six the Musical” partisan declared.
For tickets, call tel. 0917-1285268 or visit gmg-productions.com
