The critically acclaimed West End hit SIX The Musical will storm the Sydney Opera House this summer for its Australian premiere.
A witty, pop-fueled musical drenched in satire and sass, SIX remixes the history of the six wives of Henry VIII – Britain’s notorious Tudor King – by giving the microphone to his Queens to tell their stories: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr.
SIX twists the narrative from five hundred years of historical heartbreak into a 75-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power. These powerful women transform from Tudor Queens to Pop Princesses as they tell their rebellious tales in this original pop musical, accompanied by a phenomenal all-female band and inspired by the canon of music divas like Adele, Lily Allen and Ariana Grande.
“We are thrilled to partner with highly respected Australian producers Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Linda Bewick to present the Australian premiere of this fiercely witty pop musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, celebrating the lives of six rebellious Tudor Queens,” said Olivia Ansell, Head of Contemporary Performance Sydney Opera House.
“The Sydney Opera House is synonymous with summer entertainment and SIX builds on the history of sensational productions in the Studio. SIX’s soundtrack is already a global hit with more than 40 million song plays on Spotify… so pop fans beware, there’s a new majesty coming to town!”
It has been a meteoric rise for the 24-year-old Cambridge graduates Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss who co-wrote the book, lyrics and music. The first original musical from the Cambridge University Musical Theatre Society, SIX blew away audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe and is now selling out an extended run on London’s West End, for which it received five Olivier Award nominations.
Since its Edinburgh Fringe Festival debut in 2017, SIX’s electrifying soundtrack has continued to capture audiences around the world, garnering more than 300,000 streams each day. SIX is also currently touring throughout the USA and Canada and about to embark on a full UK tour in October. A Broadway opening has just been announced for March 2020.
“Oh my gosh!!! Our show is going to the Sydney Opera House!!! What!!! We are both ridiculously excited that our show is coming to Australia,” said Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss. “It feels unbelievably amazing that it’s going to start its down-under journey in such an iconic venue.”
“We are so grateful to the amazing Australian team who we’ve been working with to make this a reality, and we can’t wait to share our show with Australian audiences. We feel so lucky that we get to do so. We hope you like it!!!”
“It’s been such a delight watching this show engage and ignite audiences around the UK and now across the world,” added Original UK producers Kenny Wax, Andy & Wendy Barnes and George Stiles. There is something enormously uplifting about these six women reclaiming their lives and their stories, particularly in the current climate.”
“We are thrilled that SIX will be having its Australian premiere at such a prestigious venue as the Sydney Opera House. It has been an extraordinary journey so far and we can’t wait for this next step in the SIX adventure. Don’t lose your heads!”
Original Creative Team – Creators: Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss Directors: Lucy Moss & Jamie Armitage Choreographer: Carrie-Anne Ingrouille Set Designer: Emma Bailey Costume Designer: Gabriella Slade Sound Designer: Paul Gatehouse Lighting Designer: Tim Deiling Orchestrator: Tom Curran Musical Supervisor: Joe Beighton
SIX The Musical will play the Studio – Sydney Opera House: 4 January – 5 March 2020. Tickets on sale Monday 12 August 2019. For more information, visit: www.sydneyoperahouse.com for details. Checkout the trailer here!
Image: SIX The Musical (London Cast) – photo by Idil Sukan