Six’s original West End Queens will reunite for three very special open air performances of the smash hit show in the main courtyard of Henry VIII’s former home, Hampton Court Palace.
Staged in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces – the independent charity which cares for the royal residence – the performances on 19 and 20 June in front of audiences of over 3,000 will mark the first time the musical theatre phenomenon has been performed in an outdoor setting.
Announcing Six Live at Hampton Court Palace, the musical’s producers said: “We are delighted to be working in partnership with Historic Royal Palaces and reuniting our original West End Queens for three performances. While Six continues to triumph worldwide, we are thrilled to be celebrating this home-grown musical and staging it within the beautiful grounds of Hampton Court Palace this summer.”
Liz Young, head of events at Historic Royal Palaces, added: “Bringing the phenomenon that is Six to Hampton Court Palace has been a long-term aspiration, and we’re delighted that this summer loyal fans and newcomers alike will get the chance to experience the award-winning show in the very place where the lives, loves and legacies of these legendary Queens live on.”
Created by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, Six will star the Olivier Award-nominated original West End queenly line-up of Jarnéia Richard-Noel (The Color Purple in Concert, Cadogan Hall) as Catherine Of Aragon; Millie O’Connell (Thoroughly Modern Millie, UK tour) as Anne Boleyn; Natalie Paris (Sunday in the Park With George, Menier Chocolate Factory) as Jane Seymour; Alexia McIntosh (Godiva Rocks, Belgrade Theatre) as Anna Of Cleves; Aimie Atkinson (Pretty Woman The Musical, Savoy Theatre) as Katherine Howard and Maiya Quansah-Breed (Rent, Hope Mill Theatre).
The hit show’s co-creators and co-directors Moss and Jamie Armitage will direct the three performances, alongside the show’s creative team of choreographer Carrie-Anne Ingrouille and musical supervisor Joe Beighton, with costumes by Gabriella Slade based on the original staging, scenic design by Emma Bailey, lighting design by Tim Deiling, sound design by Paul Gatehouse and orchestrations by Tom Curran.
Written by university friends Marlow and Moss, the musical which was puts the spotlight on the wives of Henry VIII as they form a 21st century girl band started life as a student production in a 100-seat room at Sweet Venue during the 2017 Edinburgh Fringe Festival.
Presented by Kenny Wax and Global Musicals, the show which features tracks including ‘Ex Wives’, ‘Haus of Holbein’ and ‘Don’t Lose Ur Head’, is directed by co-creator Moss and Jamie Armitage.
Six celebrated its New York debut last year, opening 18 months later than planned to stunning reviews at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre on Broadway. On 8 July this year, Six will return to Chicago, the city where the musical received its North American premiere.
The Australian touring production reopened at the Sydney Opera House in December 2021 while the touring production is continuing to play to packed houses across the UK and Six’s West End reign at the show’s new London home, the Vaudeville Theatre was recently extended until 2 April 2023.
Music from the production continues to smash records around the world. To celebrate the global success of the musical’s songs with 300 million streams and over three billion views on TikTok, the Studio Album has been released on vinyl.
A VIP launch event was held in October 2021 at Banqueting House, on the site of the Palace of Whitehall built by Henry VIII, and live-streamed to the global Queendom by TikTok.
Angela Thomas
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