REVIEW: Six the Musical at the Vaudeville Theatre

Since its first full mounting in 2017, SIX has taken over the world. The Queens are now all across the globe, from the West End to Australia and even at sea! The Musical, By Lucy Moss and Toby Marlow, has changed the face of musical theatre and has brought a new, young audience to our theatres across the globe. There is no doubt as to why that is, this fresh show remains as relevant and sassy as it did 5 years ago. 

Now playing in London’s Vaudeville Theatre, the show has found its forever home. And I’m pretty sure we can expect this one to run for a while! The show tells the story of Henry VIII’s wives through their eyes in a contemporary and modern way through the use of songs based on modern-day icons. Whilst the storyline may be pulled together with a book thinner than a piece raw spaghetti, that doesn’t matter because what drives this is the score. 

Pocket Picks: Best Shows of 2021

Here at Pocket Size Theatre, we are lucky enough to see some wonderful shows; some entertaining, some mindblowing, some beautiful and even some life-changing. We've accumulated a list of our top-rated shows from 2021, what a year it's been! Take a look at our list and start thinking of your theatrical highlights and share them with us on Twitter! @PocketSizeBlog

A quick note, even though these are our top shows of the year, we applaud and would like to congratulate every single person involved in putting on ANY show this year. It's been another tough year for our industry and anyone who provides entertainment and live theatre is a hero. You're amazing! 

SIX at the Vaudeville Theatre ★★★★★

"Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s choreography is slick and on and there are no words for how marvellous Gabriella Slade’s out of this world costumes are. The musical is aimed at a younger audience; with bright lights, confetti, glittery outfits and modern references- which makes you feel like you’re seeing a girl band live rather than sat in a history lesson. The best of both worlds! The Queens are sarcastic and feisty in their comic delivery, and SIX has that kind of self-awareness that holds onto the element of intimacy that I would imagine wowed the very first audiences at the Edinburgh Fringe 4 years ago."

Click here to read the full review

Magic Goes Wrong at the Apollo Theatre ★★★★★

"They have the perfect recipe to appeal to and entertain any member of the public. I think you would be hard-pressed to find someone who didn’t smile at least once throughout a Mischief Comedy production. If you are looking to escape the challenges of reality for a few hours, then rush to buy a ticket for this show. Treat yourself to an evening of truly joyous tomfoolery and talent; I can assure you; you won’t regret this magical treat!"

Click here to read the full review 

REVIEW: SIX at the Vaudeville Theatre

SIX has been on the go since 2017 when Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss wrote the original musical for students at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Since then, it has rocketed sky-high and is now not only on the West End and a UK tour but on Broadway, Chicago and Boston, as well as touring on the other side of the world in Australia and New Zealand. The energy is unmatched and there is no sign of this show’s momentum slowing down any time soon.

Let’s face it, Henry the 8th is only memorable because of his 6 wives; so SIX introduces us to the powerful women whose lives were summarised in just one word: divorced, beheaded, died; divorced, beheaded, survived. Each Queen ‘competes’ in a battle against the others to prove they had the most traumatic life, before coming together and rewriting ‘herstory’. 

COMING HOME: Collette Guitart, currently in SIX the Musical at the Lyric Theatre, soon to transfer to the Vaudeville Theatre

Pocket Size Theatre and Liza Heinrichs (Captured by Liz) have teamed up again and created our new series 'Coming Home'. In this new piece, we look at the reopening of Theatres in London and around the country and celebrate our industry coming back. We got together some performers who will be some of the first to return to theatres and created this piece to bring some positivity to the theatre industry which has been through one of the toughest years in our lifetime. Whilst it is important to acknowledge the hardships we've all gone through, it's important we pull together as a community and celebrate our beloved industry finally coming back! 

Six the musical hit the West End in early 2019 and has captured audiences, moving from its run at the smaller Arts Theatre to its first big West End venue at the Lyric Theatre where it is currently playing, the show will move to its new permanent home at the Vaudeville Theatre from the 29th September. 

Collette Guitart is the dance captain and understudies all of the Queens in the show, she has been with the production in its run at the Arts Theatre and is playing with it at the Lyric Theatre. She will be transferring with the show when it moves to its new home next month. Previously she appeared in Rip it Up at the Garrick Theatre, Bat Out of Hell at the Dominion Theatre, was a swing in the UK Tour of Wonderland and was in the ensemble of 27: Rise of a Falling Star at the Cockpit Theatre. 

COMING HOME: Harriet Watson, currently in the UK tour of SIX the Musical

Pocket Size Theatre and Liza Heinrichs (Captured by Liz) have teamed up again and created our new series 'Coming Home'. In this new piece, we look at the reopening of Theatres in London and around the country and celebrate our industry coming back. We got together some performers who will be some of the first to return to theatres and created this piece to bring some positivity to the theatre industry which has been through one of the toughest years in our lifetime. Whilst it is important to acknowledge the hardships we've all gone through, it's important we pull together as a community and celebrate our beloved industry finally coming back! 

One of the biggest hits of musical theatre of recent years has been the phenomenal SIX. Starting as a smaller fringe show with a limited West End run, it's grown into a multi-production phenomenon around the world. The show has just recently announced its new permanent West End home at the Vaudeville Theatre after its run at the Lyric Theatre. The first touring production of the show opened in September 2019 but was shut down in March 2020 due to the pandemic, the show resumed performances with a few casting changes in June 2021 in Canterbury. 

Harriet Watson, an alternate in the company, has been with the UK touring production since the beginning. She is an alternate for Jane Seymour and Catherine Parr but also knows and has performed the majority of the other Queens tracks as she covers them too. As well as this, she is also the dance captain on the production. 

COMING HOME: Lauren Byrne, currently in Andrew Lloyd Webber's Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre

Pocket Size Theatre and Liza Heinrichs (Captured by Liz) have teamed up again and created our new series 'Coming Home'. In this new piece, we look at the reopening of Theatres in London and around the country and celebrate our industry coming back. We got together some performers who will be some of the first to return to theatres and created this piece to bring some positivity to the theatre industry which has been through one of the toughest years in our lifetime. Whilst it is important to acknowledge the hardships we've all gone through, it's important we pull together as a community and celebrate our beloved industry finally coming back! 

Andrew Lloyd Webber’s journey to open Cinderella at the Gillian Lynne Theatre has probably been one of the most documented and talked-about stories in relation to the reopening of theatres. This new retelling of the classic fairytale opened on the 25th June 2021 with an opening night of the 20th July, this has been changed due to performances being suspended because of a COVID related case. With music by Lloyd Webber Himself, lyrics by David Zippel and a book by Emerald Fennell, the show is one of the handful of new musicals opening theatre again after the closure of theatres because of the pandemic. 

Lauren Byrne is appearing in the shows ensemble and is also covering the title role. Making her West End debut in the musical, she was previously playing the role of Jane Seymour in the UK Touring production of Six the Musical. Her other credits include Swing and cover Cynthia and Carole in Beautiful: The Carole King Musical (UK Tour), Mabel and Dance Captain in Blondel (Union Theatre) and Understudy Rasa, Peggy, Gwen and Joyce in Sunny Afternoon (UK Tour). Lauren is the co-founder of the new training system ‘In3 Arts’, providing part-time training alongside her ex-Six cast member Harriet Watson. 

SIX the Musical announces it plans to re-open on Friday 21 May, 2021 at the Lyric Theatre

Electrifying West End musical phenomenon SIX will reopen at the Lyric Theatre on Friday 21 May, 2021.

With social distancing at indoor venues expected to remain in place until June 21 at the earliest, the theatre will initially operate at the same 50% capacity as December 2020 before the current national lockdown.

Customers already booked into cancelled dates for the show will be contacted first by Nimax Theatres from March 5 to move their bookings to new dates.

Tickets for the new dates will go on sale to the general public on Monday 29 March via www.nimaxtheatres.com

SIX, by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, which has become a global hit, is now booking at the Lyric theatre to Sunday August 22.

The Best Onstage Quick Changes in Musical Theatre!

I am an absolute sucker for a quick change and an onstage quick change, I am all for! The little theatre kid in me absolutely LIVES for these in musicals because that's what I used to pretend to do in my bedroom (just me...?). The designers on these shows are incredible and do not get enough credit in general but certainly don't get the credit they deserve for these cool and innovative changes on stage! Take a look at our list and tweet us ones we've missed! 

Mean Girls | Cady Hearon in Revenge Party

Heathers | Heather Duke in Never Shut up Again 

REVIEW: Girl Power - The Original London cast of SIX Reunite (Online at Thespie.com)

If 2020 has provided us with one thing, it’s the development and innovative thinking behind technological resources that provides us with the ability to put on, and stream a fantastic, high-quality production from the comfort and safety of our homes! And Girl Power is no exception to that rule. 

First live-streamed on 17th December 2020 curtesy of Thespie, an online platform offering listings for theatre streaming, theatre music & audio, theatre eBooks, educational resources, live London theatre, theatre news, and more, Girl Power is a jam-packed celebration of all thing’s sisterhood. Set up in a concert style, Girl Power is an empowering showcase of songs by iconic girl groups from across the decades, ranging from vintage wartime tributes, to the sultry Moulin Rouge, and finishing with today’s chart-topping divas and powerhouses like Little Mix.

Presented by the original West End queens of the musical SIX, this marks the girls second online concert, returning following phenomenal popularity and demand. 

15 Production Shots that describe the struggles of a Lockdown

With all this spare time we now have we have decided to bring back our most popular article to date but this time, with a twist. So here it is: 15 Production Shots that describe the struggles of being in a Lockdown! (P.S. before you all come for me, I know this isn't an official lockdown. It's just catchier than Quarantine. Ok thanks.) Enjoy! 

View Part 1 and Part 2 of the Production Pictures articles!

When your partner tries to make you go to the supermarket for supplies but you're too scared. 

Alistair Brammer and Laura Pick in Wicked at the Apollo Victoria Theatre 

When the supermarket is out of bread. AGAIN. 

Jon Robyns in Les Miserables at the Queens Theatre

Best Understudy and Cover Stories of 2019

Standbys, understudies, alternates and swings are integral to the running of a show. They save the day on a daily bases all around the country in all kinds of shows. In a time where some shows champion their covers on social media and in the actual theatres, some shows still restrict the cast members on the publication of dates and information about their cover dates. But to prove how incredible they actually are, we looked back at the past year with our friends at @WestEndCovers and put together a list of the Best Understudy and Cover stories of 2019!  

"This year the recognition for standbys and alternates has been greater than any before. Some newer shows with smaller casts like Six, Come From Away and Dear Evan Hansen rely on their standbys (who do not perform unless on for one of their cover roles) and alternates (who weekly scheduled shows as their cover) rather than the more common understudy and swing model for shows with a larger ensemble. The difference is that understudies may be a member of the ensemble or a swing who steps up to cover a principle role and a swing steps in to cover ensemble tracks." - @WestEndCovers 

And we must mention but our beloved West End Understudies account are in their 5th Year in 2020!  Here's to the next 5 years of celebrating our fantastic covers all across the theatre industry! 

Take a look at some of these extrodinary stories and tweet us any you think we missed out! @PocketSizeBlog

Best Shows of 2019

Elegies for Angels, Punks and Raging Queens at the Union Theatre

"This has to be one of the best things I’ve ever seen and I implore you to see this show because you will not regret it. I hope this show has more life after this run at the Union Theatre and I’m sure this won’t be your only chance to see this production but you need to go and buy a ticket now otherwise you’ve missed one of the theatrical highlights of 2019."

Click here to read the full review 

Emilia at the Vaudeville Theatre

"I have never come out of a show feeling the way I felt about this play. It is time to face the facts and realise the wrongs in history and change them now, our voices can be heard... This is the play of the year, if there is one story you are to be told this year, its this one."

Click here to read the full review

Casting announced for UK Tour of SIX the Musical

The West End smash hit musical SIX written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, today announces the full cast for its 2019/20 UK Tour. The touring Queens will be played by Lauren Drew (Catherine of Aragon), Maddison Bulleyment (Anne Boleyn), Lauren Byrne (Jane Seymour), Shekinah McFarlane (Anna of Cleves), Jodie Steele (Katherine Howard) and Athena Collins (Catherine Parr), with Alternates Jennifer Caldwell, Cassandra Lee and Harriet Watson. The cast are backed by the show’s all-female band, The Ladies in Waiting.

SIX is at The Lowry over the Christmas season from Tue 3 December to Sun 5 January.

The SIX phenomenon shows no sign of abating. Two years to the day since the show premiered as a student production at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, SIX announced its Broadway transfer to the Brooks Atkinson Theatre in New York following sold out runs in Chicago and Boston. Back in London where SIX continues to sell every seat for every performance at the Arts Theatre, the show was nominated for five 2019 OIivier Awards, including Best New Musical, Best Choreography and Best Costume Design. The show will open at the Sydney Opera House in January and is due to reopen in Chicago next summer. Productions are being planned for China, Japan, South Korea and Canada. 

DREAM CASTING: Six on Broadway!

What makes this cast so special in the West End is that we have a cast of fresh faces that really make you realise how much undiscovered talent we have around. But we couldn't help our minds get creative and wonder who we'd absolutely adore to see in the Broadway cast of the show! We do however love how they've cast it in the UK so we would love the same to happen across the Atlantic, but heres our dream! 

Catherine of Aragon | Shoshana Bean 

Most famed for her portrayal of Elphaba in Wicked on Broadway, having replaced original cast member and Tony Award winner Idina Menzel. She returns to Broadway to play the role of Jenna in Waitress and we think she'd be epic in this show and as this role! 

Anne Boleyn | Denée Benton 

Seen in her Tony nominated interpretation of Natasha Rostova in Natasha, Pierre & The Great Comet of 1812 and currently as Eliza in the Broadway production of Hamilton. We think she'd be a great Anne Boleyn! 

Theatre Tickets: Every West End shows top and lowest price ticket!

Theatre has been critiqued a lot over the past few years at how expensive the tickets are so we thought we'd take a look at the official box offices and compare their highest price ticket to the lowest. What can you get for your money in the West End? Lets find out!

To make it fair, we looked at the same date (August 17th 2019, 7.30pm) for every show and have compared the most expensive seat available to the cheapest available for this day. 

Hamilton tops and bottoms both our lists, its the most expensive theatre ticket in London at £250 and has the most expensive cheapest ticket which comes in at £100. If you are on the UK minimum wage (£8.21, for someone 25 and over) you would have to work about 30 hours to afford a premium seat. A family of 4 would cost £1,000, equal to about 122 hours of work on minimum wage. 

The Lion King closely follows as one of the most expensive at £228.50 followed by Wicked and The Book of Mormon at just over £202 each. 

If we look at the cheapest seats available through official box offices School of Rock, Captain Corelli's Mandolin and Only Fools and Horses are all priced at £15 closely followed The Secret Diary of Adrian Mole Aged 13 ¾ and Six at £19.50. 

For £20 (Almost 2 and a half hours work on the national minimum wage) you can see Everybody's Talking About Jamie, The Lion King, Fiddler on the Roof, Matilda and Joseph and the Amazing Technicolor Dreamcoat.

This article was written in July 2019. Ticket prices may have changed or altered since our research. 

INTEVRIEW: Courtney Stapleton, currently in the cast of SIX at the Arts Theatre

Courtney Stapleton is currently one of the understudies in the hit musical SIX at the Arts Theatre. Courtney graduated from Arts Educational. Theatre whilst training includes Sasha Larkin in Soho Cinders; Grace Shinn in The Music Man; Marta in Company, Phyllis in Iolanthe and Frank’s Girlfriend in Catch Me If You Can. Courtney made her stage debut in Mamma Mia in the West End and has since appeared in Bat Out Of Hell (West End); Cameron Mackintosh’s Les Miserables in the West End and in Kerry Ellis Live at the Palladium and the Olivier Awards.

Tell us a about what Queens you play.

I am Alternate Jane Seymour and Catherine Parr, and I have one show per week as these queens and I cover the other four in case of holidays, sickness and injury! 

What kind of research did you do to prepare for these roles.

I watched a BBC documentary series about the 6 wives of Henry VIII to get to know them a little more and to try and remember what I had learnt in my GCSE’s! And I also watched Beyoncé’s Live at Rose-land concert because this was the concept the the show is based on.

How do you identify with these roles?

I think that I see a part of myself in all of the queens. I love Jane because she’s true to herself, she doesn’t care what anybody else thinks, she loved Henry and she is proud of that fact and I like to think that I try not to let other people’s opinions get to me in that same way. Catherine Parr and I are VERY similar, she is an observer, she watches the story unfold with the other queens for the whole show and then she comes through strong with such a positive and empowering message. She is a Badass and I LOVE her.

INTEVRIEW: Vicki Manser, currently in the cast of SIX at the Arts Theatre

Vicki Manser is currently one of the understudies in the hit musical SIX at the Arts Theatre. Her other credits include Swing in Bat Out of Hell (Dominion Theatre), u/s Carole King and Genie Klein in Beautiful the Carole King Musical (Aldwych Theatre), u/s Rasa, Mrs Davies/Marsha, Peggy, Joyce and Gwen in Sunny Afternoon (Harold Pinter Theatre). Other professional credits include Magic at the Musicals with the cast of Sunny Afternoon (The Royal Albert Hall) and a featured dancer for BBC’s Strictly Come Dancing.

Tell us a about what Queens you play. 

I understudy all the Queens but I alternate for Anne Boleyn and Anna of Cleves. They are all amazing! 

What kind of research did you do to prepare for these roles. 

Initially I spent a lot of time watching the current cast because being a cover its important to slot in but since starting I have a new found obsession with Tudor documentaries! I also watched Beyoncés Live at Roseland before starting as the writers took inspiration from that concert. Its epic! 

How do you identify with these roles? 

Boleyn, I think, is the Queen that's closet to my personality. I have a lot of fun with her! 

INTERVIEW: Grace Mouat, currently in the cast of SIX at the Arts Theatre

Grace Mouat is currently one of the understudies in the hit musical SIX at the Arts Theatre. Grace trained at the Guildford School of Acting. Theatre Credits include: Eileen in Nice Work If You Can Get It (GSA); Ensemble in Hair (GSA), Luna in Cats (GSA), The Oliviers in Concert (Royal Festival Hall); Ensemble in Spring Awakening (Leicester Curve), Ensemble in Beauty and the Beast (Camberley Theatre), Susan in Soul Music (Rose Theatre, Kingston) and ENCORE: 40 Years of NYMT (Adelphi Theatre). She will be appearing in the new West End musical, & Juliet, at the Shaftsbury Theatre from November this year. 

Tell us a about what Queens you play. 

So I am alternate Katherine Howard (beheaded) and Catherine of Aragon (divorced). I also cover the other 4 when necessary! I love these queens so much! I love their sarcastic lines and fierce songs. 

What kind of research did you do to prepare for these roles. 

Last June when we were in rehearsals we all researched our queens and presented them them to each other as if we were in a history class! It was so fun and interesting to see the queens present their characters and personalities.

INTEVRIEW: Maiya Quansah-Breed, currently in the cast of SIX at the Arts Theatre

Maiya is currently playing the role of Catherine Parr in the hit musical SIX at the Arts Theatre. Maiya trained at Guildford School of Acting. Theatre credits whilst training include: Exotica in ‘Cats’; Ronny in 'Hair'; Dottie in 'Nice Work If You Can Get It’ and Mrs Medlock in ‘The Secret Garden'. 

Tell us a bit about Catherine Parr’s Story. 

Catherine Parr was a sensational woman, strong, resilient and a women beyond her years and she wouldn’t have even realised. Catherine was twice widowed and after the death of her previous husbands, she was set to marry Thomas Seymour, the brother of Jane Seymour, Henry VIII’s third wife. However, Henry has other plans and set his eyes on Catherine and asked her to marry him; Henry’s previous marriages had been decided for him by politicians and people in power but in this case, Henry chose Catherine by himself to avoid further disappointments. And how could she say no to the king of England? That would be her death warrant signed, so she had no other option. Catherine’s Mother was also Catherine of Aragon’s lady in waiting and it is said to be that Catherine Parr was named after Catherine of Aragon, as she was her Godmother. Catherine Parr, was the first Queen in history to publish a book under her own name, ‘Prayers and Meditations’ and ‘The Lamentations of a Sinner’. Catherine was Henry’s sixth wife and she nursed him until his death. 

What kind of research did you do to prepare for the role? 

I had to do a lot of research into Catherine Parr’s life because I didn’t know anything about her and I watched the documentary that Lucy Worsley did about Henry VIII’s wives and I found that really helpful and informative.

INTEVRIEW: Aimie Atkinson, currently in the cast of SIX at the Arts Theatre

Aimie Atkinson is currently playing the role of Katherine Howard in the hit musical SIX at the Arts Theatre, after being part of the original cast and being featured on the cast album. Her other credits include Daniela in 'In The Heights' (Kings Cross Theatre) Serena in Legally Blonde (Kilworth House), Teresa in Blockbuster (UK Tour), Penny Lane in Carnaby Street the Musical (UK Tour) Shelby Stevens in Steel Pier (Union Theatre). Chloe in the Take That Musical Never Forget (UK Tour), Aimie originated the lead role of Luisa in Zorro the Musical (UK Tour), Elizabeth in Dirty Dancing (UK tour), Amber in Legacy Falls (Charing Cross Theatre), Dorothy in The Wizard of Oz (Brighton Theatre Royal) Sofia in Howard Goodhall's Days of Hope (Kings Head Theatre), Versuvio Vasace in Eurobeat and Polly Pry in Cannibal the Musical both at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival. Aimie is also the Winner of the prestigious BBC Radio 2 Voice of Musical Theatre award.

Tell us a bit about Katherine Howard’s Story. 

Catherine Howard was the, fifth wife of Henry VIII. Her downfall came when Henry learned of her premarital affairs.When Catherine was 13 she supposedly had a relationship with Henry Mannox a music teacher; he was 23 at the time and she was but a child. In today’s landscape this would be considered rape. She was then sent away to live with her step grandmother who left all the girls in her household to their own devises. The men would unlock the girls rooms at night and pay them visits. There at her grandmother she had a brief affair with Francis Dereham, who had called her his wife; . After her marriage to Henry, she was accused of adultery with Thomas Culpepper one of the kings right hand men. It should be noted that Thomas was a known rapist and Murderer so all round great chap! It is also good to note that the king had the law changed and a bill was passed declaring it treason for an unchaste woman to marry the king. This signed her death warrant and she was beheaded without a trial or means to stand up for herself. Katherine Howard was a child when she was thrust into this male dominated world, she was just trying to survive and doing what she was told. She really didn’t have a choice in the situation.

What kind of research did you do to prepare for the role? 

I did a lot of research for the role of K Howard. Her story is heartbreaking and quite difficult to learn much about. She is often looked over in most books and is abridged down to a brief paragraph. I took a lot of insight from the wonderful Gareth Russell’s book ‘Young Damned and fair’ Also ‘ Katherine Howard :Henry VIII’s slandered queen by Conor Byrne is fabulous.