9 TO 5 28, SIX The Musical

SIX

Re-contextualising history for a modern crowd is all the rage these days, but no musical extravaganza does it better than the Tony award-winning phenomena of SIX. Words by James Robertson

Credit James D Morgan

Originally written and directed by 20-somethings Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss for the Edinburgh Fringe back in 2017, SIX has taken the world by storm, hitting the West End, Broadway and making it big with TikTok trends of a number of its songs. A simplified story of empowerment and acceptance, SIX does away with the trappings of history to convey the stories of six women who are so much more than just the wives of Henry VIII.

SIX remixes the history of the six wives of Henry VIII – Britain’s notorious Tudor King – in a modern retelling from the perspectives of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr. What began life as a student production now has a studio album that’s amassed more than 450 million streams, and three billion views on TikTok.

The Comedy Theatre is transformed into a pop concert arena with a glittering stage emblazoned with dazzling stage lights. On stage, a drummer, guitarist, keyboardist and bassplayer stand with attitude on the raised staircase that leads up to the back of the stage. What ensues when the curtains rise is a resplendent rollercoaster of pop perfection. The six queens command the stage from their first triumphant steps, sending the crowd into a lauded frenzy that could match any pop concert.

Adorned in flashy skirts, tops and pants that seem like they were sent from a cyber-punk version of 16th century England, each individual performer dazzles with the tightness of their vocal and dance performances. Each song that each queen sings is both insanely catchy and perfectly matching their personalities, conveying each queen as loveable and flawed.

The job of SIX is to retell the well-known stories of the numerous wives that the temperamental, at-times blood-thirsty King had over his reign: but that’s not all. Framed as a competition over who’s life was the most unfortunate to live, the show takes on a battle-of-the-bands scenario where each q tries to outdo the other to darkly comical effect. The idea that Anne Boleyn (Kala Gare) was the most unfortunate, as she was one of the sadly beheaded, is called into question, as Jane Seymour’s (Loren Hunter) untimely death could be seen as the most tragic too. The musical does a fantastic job of making the audience root for a certain queen, ever keen to see who the victor may be when this was never the point at all. Debunking the notion of women being put into competition against each other, all because of their connection to a man, SIX reframes a centuries-old question into a triumphant reclaiming of their own stories: showing that famous women from history can be so much more than just their relationships.

SIX is the definition of a tight and concise musical experience, endeavouring to supply the audience with the right amount of power ballads and unforgettable dance tunes. Triumphing in everything that it does, SIX is a musical for our times from a time well past.

SIX - The Musical is playing at Comedy Theatre until August 21.

FESTIVAL GUIDE Events to experience this August

Words by Ben Lamb

Moama Lights

After its inaugural event in May last year, Moama Lights makes a dazzling return for 2022. This three-week celebration of art, light and all things Moama will see the Murray River come to life once again in a dazzling, glowing wonderland, showcasing stories from across the region through state-of-the-art installations, projections and cutting edge movinglight technology.

It runs every night from from July 31 until August 21 with light installations across Horseshoe Lagoon.

Melbourne International Film Festival

The premier event for all things movies makes its triumphant return to Melbourne this year, with a stacked program that’ll be one to remember for years to come. 2022’s incarnation marks the 70th anniversary of one of the world’s oldest film festivals, and to celebrate there’ll be a grand array of events to dive into; talks, masterclasses, premieres, and a whole lot more. There’s bound to be something up your alley.

MIFF is happening across select cinemas in Melbourne from August 4 until August 21. Are you a designer or wholesaler? This is the event for you. The Exhibition Building will be jam-packed with some of the world’s coolest up-and-coming brands – you’ll be able to chat with them and see their works displayed on a runway. Like all good festivals, the Melbourne Retail Festival will feature talks, workshops, and a whole lot more.

It’s taking place at the Royal Exhibition Building on August 24 and August 25.

Monolith Festival

Border closures saw a bunch of Aussie only lineups throughout the height of the pandemic in a unique time for local musos. Now things have been open for a few months, we’ve seen international headliners return, and Aussies fill supporting roles. Monolith is bringing the homegrown vibes back with an all-Aussie affair: Karnivool, Cog and Ocean Grove will be hard-rocking their way into Melburnians ears when Monolith hits Melbourne this August. Supporting these bands will be up and comers Plini, sleepmakeswaves, Reliqa and Yomi Ship.

Monolith is taking place at Port Melbourne Industrial Centre for the Arts on August 27.

Scandinavian Film Festival

The wider Nordic region is renowned for some high-quality cinema, and we’ll be able to catch the best new flicks when the Scandinavian Film Festival takes place this August. The region isn’t afraid to get a little different with their on-screen efforts, often pushing the boundaries of what’s expected from their noir reputation to create some highly memorable works.

The festival is happening across select cinemas in Melbourne. It runs until August 7. Melbourne Houseplant Festival

You probably can’t get anything more modern-Melbourne than a festival dedicated to houseplants. In this day and age, plants are becoming some of our children - people are caring for them with their lives - so why not celebrate that? The Melbourne Houseplant Festival will feature talks, workshops, and lots more: they promise you’ll leave knowing a whole lot more about your green friends. Tickets start from an easy $9, a fraction of the price of a fiddle-leaf fig.

It’s taking place at Brunswick’s The Wool Mill on August 21.

MS Melbourne Run and Ride Festival

The Melbourne Run and Ride Festival is open for athletes of all talents, options range from a 2.5km family ride to a whopping 50km ride, and everything in between. You can sign up over on their website and raise some money for multiple sclerosis treatment, the superb cause that this festival goes towards. For certain goals in the fundraising space, you’ll go into the running for prizes including a holiday, a bike, or a visit to a brewery.

It’s taking place across Melbourne on August 28.

WinterWild

These cooler months force a lot of us into hibernation, but every now and then, an event comes along that leans into that, and entices us to brave the cold. WinterWild festival will light up the Apollo Bay region this August, with events that’ll definitely warm you up. Ahead of their successful US run, you can catch Aussie rockers Amyl and The Sniffers, an outdoor Wildfeast featuring outdoor barbecues, and even some horror themed events.

This show is taking place in a number of locations across Apollo Bay. It runs from August 12 until August 28.