West End, Broadway Hit Musical SIX Plays in Singapore

Singapore--Henry VIII's ex-wives take the stage in the international smash hit musical “Six,” written by Tony Award winners Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. From Tudor Queens to pop stars, these ex-wives hog the spotlight to re-tell their tales, remixing 500 years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st-century girl power.

The company of queens are Billie Kerr as Catherine of Aragon, Yna Tresvalles as Anne Boleyn, Liberty Stottor as Jane Seymour, Hannah Victoria as Anna of Cleves, Lizzie Emery as Katherine Howard, and Eloise Lord as Catherine Parr.

These “Six” stars have recently engaged in a Q and A with BroadwayWorld.

What is your take on your character?

Kerr, as Catherine of Aragon (1485-1536), who was demoted for bearing no son, shares how she prepared for her role, "Aragon reminds me of so many powerful women who have been present in my life to date. Her strength and resilience shine through in people like my Mum [for example], who has inspired me since birth. I am also heavily inspired by all the women who have played the role.

"Aragon requires crazy amounts of stamina and gravitas, and I am in awe of how seamless the queens who came before me made her look."

Anne Boleyn (c. 1501-1536), assumed by Tresvalles, on the other hand, whose union with the King sparked reformation, shares her thoughts, "My queen is about 50% me and my personality, and 50% a historical interpretation of Boleyn.

"I take a lot of inspiration from [my time] being a teenager, hot-headed, passionate, and quick to react."

Stottor, as the third queen, Jane Seymour (1508-1537), who died after giving birth to a male heir, imparts how she channels her character, "The beautiful thing about ‘Six’ is that we can bring 50% of ourselves to our Queens, which was helpful at the beginning of the process. However, it was essential to understand who Seymour was and her life experiences to portray her as truthfully as I could.

"I wanted to keep an open mind that my approach to her would change throughout the process as my understanding of her grew deeper, which I have found to be an incredible learning experience."

Victoria, on the other hand, breathes into the role of Anna of Cleves (1515-1557), who had a strategic, six-month marriage with the King, stressing, "While, in the rehearsal period, we had a session on each queen learning about their upbringing, family tree, and personality traits.

"We used that research to help us portray each queen."

Emery, as Catherine Howard (1523-1542), though treasured by the King, was executed because of adultery and treason. She says to prepare for her role, "I watched a lot of documentaries, listened to podcasts, read books, and consumed as much information about her as I possibly could. I’m genuinely obsessed with K Howard (and all of the Queens, to be honest), and I [really] wanted to know her as a person thoroughly before putting my ‘Six’ spin on her.

"Unfortunately, I feel like most women have a story to tell when it comes to being taken advantage of by men. So many strong, brave women inspire me to get people talking about what happened to K Howard and how even though it was 500 years ago, too many of us can relate."

Catherine Parr (1512-1548) is the peacemaker who outlived the King. Lord, who plays Parr, reveals that she had done a lot of research and watched documentaries, "I feel like Parr is so similar to Michelle Obama. So I watched lots of her interviews, too!"

Which diva or personality influenced their portrayal?

Lord takes a lot of inspiration from Alicia Keys, Jazmine Sullivan, and Olivia Dean in her interpretation of Parr.

"They’re all [really] intelligent and strong independent artists and think Parr holds a lot of similar attributes."

Emery [as K Howard] points out hers has a lot of Britney Spears in the heartbreaking conservatorship, and she went through some frightening parallels with K Howard’s life.

"’All You Wanna Do’ also has a lot of influences from Britney’s sound. There's also a touch of Ariana Grande, too! We were also encouraged in the rehearsal process to bring a lot of ourselves to our queens so they are all a beautiful mix of historical figures and whoever is playing the role."

Meanwhile, for Victoria’s Anna of Cleves, "It takes inspiration from Lizzo, Nicki Minaj, and Rihanna."

As Jane Seymour, Stottor says, "My biggest inspiration for my portrayal of Seymour was Adele. Often, she's depicted as emotional and reflective. She shows us how much strength there is in being vulnerable with the rawness of her music."

Filipino-American Tresvalles, as Anne Boleyn, chooses to channel "Olivia Rodrigo, Alanis Morisette, and Hayley Williams."

And Kerr admits, "The role of Aragon was created through the lens of Beyoncé, to whom I drew a huge amount of inspiration. My other 'Queenspirations' include Christina Aguilera and Jessie J."

As Queens, they all lived complex lives.

Their man, Henry VIII, is best known for his six wives and several mistresses he kept on the side. They were all entangled in the monarch’s desperate quest for political unification, and a healthy male heir drove him to annul two marriages and have two wives beheaded.

If there is one thing they'd like to tell their respective characters, what is it?

Kerr says, "After gushing over her for a while, I would emphasize how thousands of actresses are desperate to get the chance to tell her story and how it’s a [complete] testament to her character and legacy that she left behind."

"I would tell her I am so sorry for how history scandalized her and reduced her to just a mistress and ask her what her truest intentions were as she took the throne," Tresvalles shares her realizations about Boleyn.

Stottor stresses, "People might think you had it easy, being the ‘only one truly loved,’ but your story deserves to be heard, and I hope you know how important you are. Thank you for helping me understand and learn to appreciate heartache and how powerful it is to love."

"I would tell Anna of Cleves that the Bible says: 'You are the head and not the table. You are fearfully and wonderfully made to know your worth and be proud of yourself," Victoria reminds her character.

Emery tells K Howard, "None of it was your fault. Your story is being told, and so many people love you."

And lastly, Lord tells Parr, "How much change has happened in the world. Women have so much more freedom than they did when she was around. You had a huge part in that. She has changed so many lives."

Lucy Moss and Jamie Armitage direct “Six.” Choreography is by Carrie-Anne Ingrouille, with set design by Emma Bailey, costume design by Gabriella Slade, and lighting design by Tim Deiling. The sound design was done by Paul Gatehouse, with musical orchestration by Tom Curran and musical supervision by Joe Beighton.

In Singapore, “Six” is produced by Kenny Wax, Wendy & Andy Barnes, and George Stiles, in association with Base Entertainment Asia.

Photos: Pamela Raith

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