EXCLUSIVE: Q&A With the International Tour Cast of SIX

Manila, Philippines--The queens of the House of Tudor continue to smash stages and retell their stories from the West End and Broadway to Southeast Asia, particularly in Manila, as the hit musical/pop concert plays simultaneously in these cities.

BroadwayWorld recently sat down with the international cast of SIX and picked their gorgeous brains about their life’s insights as a woman and musical influences who helped them shape their “queens.” We also looked into their opinions about diversity and representation on stage and how their characters are depicted as emojis!

From Tudor queens to pop icons, SIX follows the six wives of King Henry VIII, known for his six marriages and clashes with the church.  The six wives “take the microphone to remix 500 years of historical heartbreak into a euphoric celebration of 21st-century girl power.” It tells the stories of Catherine of Aragon, the first wife, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr, reclaiming their narratives.

Let’s listen to what the queens have to say:

How does SIX resonate with your life’s experience as a woman, and how will the ladies’ stories and convictions inspire young female audiences, especially in Manila, Philippines?

Billie Kerr (Catherine of Aragon): SIX encapsulates how empowering it is to be a woman and uplift other women around you. I feel like every audience member (no matter what they identify as) will be able to relate to at least one of these queens’ stories. I hope it encourages them to live life to the fullest authentically.

Yna Tresvalles (Anne Boleyn): SIX has helped me take a step back and realize how often society pits women against each other. It has taught me how to lift the women in my life. It teaches a beautiful lesson for young female audiences--we should celebrate our different strengths, not compete against them.

Lorren Santo-Quinn (Alt Cleves/Howard): SIX resonates with my own experiences of being made to feel inferior for being a woman and assumed to be less capable, less intelligent, and less worthy. The show is so important because it is timeless. Although these beautiful queens lived hundreds of years ago, their stories, legacies, and the versions of them that SIX portrays are so relevant today. I hope it empowers women in Manila the same way it did me when I first watched and fell in love with the show. I hope it reminds them that we are all beautiful, unstoppable, and capable of making herstory.

Izzy Formby-Jackson (Super Swing):  SIX resonates with me as a woman because I think, with the current patriarchy, it is easy to feel wronged by the men in our societies. In turn, it sometimes becomes a competitive environment for who had it the worst or the strongest or most confident woman among the groups I find myself in, much like the queens in our show. It’s a great message as, within the show, the queens work out their differences and realize the enemy is not one another but external circumstances and being controlled by other men and higher powers. It’s enlightening to see and perform, and every time, it reminds me we can be more powerful together as a unit than each of us trying to fight to be solo. A pair doesn’t beat a royal flush!

Which pop icons or musical artists have inspired your take on your “queen”? How do these inspirations infuse such crazy, pumped-up energy throughout the performance?

Billie Kerr (Catherine of Aragon: My biggest Queenspirations for Catherine of Aragon are Beyonce, Jessie J, and Christina Aguilera. These fierce women are all known for their highly energetic performances and big vocals, which I strive to achieve every show.

Hannah Victoria (Anna of Cleves): Lizzo and Nicki Minaj. Both artists have big, bubbly personalities, and many of their songs are high-energy! Being able to use those attributes helps me to keep the show fresh and funny every night. Anna of Cleves is proud, confident, and fierce, and you can never take her seriously; she brings fun and laughter to the show and enjoys fanning the other queens' flames in different ways!

Lizzie Emery (Katherine Howard): K Howard is influenced by Britney Spears in many ways. All You Wanna Do is reminiscent of a lot of iconic Britney music. Howard’s overall energy is very young Britney, and sadly, they both have a lot of parallels in how others controlled them from a very young age. They are both incredible women who managed to leave legacies despite the toxic environment they were stuck in. Of course, there’s also a touch of Ariana in Howie; check those riffs and that high pony!

Eloise Lord (Catherine Parr): My Parr is mainly inspired by a few of my favorite artists. They have helped me find my vocal style and riffs and runs. A few are Alicia Keys, Olivia Dean, Jazmine Sullivan, and Lauryn Hill. They are all such articulate, intelligent, and grounded women; they help me find that in my take on Catherine Parr.

Liberty Stottor (Jane Seymour): Adele’s strength and maternal nature inspired me when connecting to Seymour. She embodies love, heartbreak, and resilience, making her relatable to many. She’s a beautiful example of how powerful it is to be vulnerable.

Yna Tresvalles (Anne Boleyn): Some of my modern influences for Anne Boleyn have been Alanis Morisette, Miley Cyrus, and Olivia Rodrigo. Their brashness, rock-driven music, and passion have helped me tap into my version of this iconic character!

Erin Summerhayes (Alt Boleyn/Seymour): For Boleyn, I’d say Avril Lavigne; she’s got the rock edge that Boleyn loves to play with, which helps bring her chaotic energy/inner pop star to life. She’s so much fun! For Seymour, I’d say, Adele, as a mother herself and someone who has loved someone so deeply, connects with her lyrics and leads her songs with emotions, helping her portray precisely how she feels to her audiences. Seymour knows exactly how this feels, and her heart-wrenching song relates to Adele’s emotional and stylistic style. It’s beautiful.

Milly Willows (Alt Aragon/Parr): Beyoncé, Tori Kelly, Yebba, and Ariana Grande. They help me embody each queen and show their confidence in their ability to tell a story through singing.

Why or how is diverse casting important in telling the queens’ story today?

Lizzie Emery (Katherine Howard): Diversity is essential in all stories and aspects of life. However, it’s especially important in SIX because everybody can resonate with these queens’ struggles despite being over 500 years ago. Every woman deserves to feel empowered by this story.

Liberty Stottor (Jane Seymour): Diversity is compelling in SIX as the stories of these queens resonate with everyone, regardless of their background. Representation empowers the performers and connects deeply with audiences, reminding us that every story deserves to be heard. SIX celebrates identity and highlights the importance of using your voice, boldly stating that history belongs to us all.

Yna Tresvalles (Anne Boleyn): Though these women were from Europe, throughout history, there are driven, strong women whose legacies have been twisted or scandalized. Also, so much of the music, choreography, and speech takes inspiration from hip-hop and R&B, as well as popular culture, which we owe to the global majority! It's vital that everyone can see themselves celebrated in this show.

Milly Willows (Alt Aragon/Parr): The real queens of the Tudor period were never able to fully be their unique and authentic selves, conforming to the standards of womanhood at the time. We are in a day and age now where women are being empowered more and more every day, so the diverse casting of SIX is essential to show how these queens are being allowed to be proud of who they are and what they stand for. As a mid-size actress, seeing other women like me performing in significant female roles in history is incredibly moving. I hope I inspire others to love themselves and own their body; everyone is beautiful, and it is important to appreciate yourself.

Describe the queen you’re playing in emojis.

Billie Kerr (Catherine of Aragon):

Yna Tresvalles (Anne Boleyn):

Hannah Victoria (Anna of Cleves):

Lizzie Emery (Katherine Howard):

Eloise Lord (Catherine Parr):

Milly Willows (Alt Aragon/Parr):

Lorren Santo-Quinn (Alt Cleves/Howard):

Izzy Formby-Jackson (Super Swing):

Erin Summerhayes (Alt Boleyn/Seymour):

SIX, written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, has won over 35 awards, including the 2022 Tony Award® for Best Original Score (music and lyrics) and the Outer Critics Circle Award for Best Musical.

Carrie-Anne Ingrouille is the choreographer; Emma Bailey, set designer; Gabriella Slade, Costume Designer; Tim Deiling, lighting designer; Paul Gatehouse, sound designer; Tom Curran, musical orchestrator; and Joe Beighton, musical supervisor.

Since its premiere in 2017, it has been seen by over 3.5 million people worldwide every year and has toured the United States, Canada, Australia, and South Korea.

After the queens’ engagement in Manila, they’re set to travel to Singapore in November.

Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes, and George Stiles, in association with GMG Productions, are bringing SIX to Manila.

Photos: GMG Productions

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