Show guide
Six
Six is a high energy pop concert musical that reimagines the six wives of King Henry VIII as a contemporary girl group reclaiming their own stories. It arrived on Broadway in 2021 and quickly became a modern crowd favorite.
- Broadway premiere
- 2021
- Music by
- Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss
- Genre
- Rock/Pop
- Setting
- 1530s
Six: quick answers
What is Six about?
- Six reimagines the six wives of Henry VIII as a pop girl group; each queen sings her own story in a contest to decide who suffered most, before they reject the competition and reclaim their stories from the man who defined them.
When did Six open on Broadway?
- Six officially opened on Broadway on October 3, 2021, at the Brooks Atkinson Theatre (now the Lena Horne Theatre) and is still running, though it has announced it will close on January 3, 2027.
What kind of musical is Six?
- Six is a pop concert musical with an original score by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, in which each queen's song is styled after contemporary pop stars. It is presented as a singing competition and pop concert, played in one act.
Where and when is Six set?
- Six is staged as a present-day pop concert in which the six queens, who lived in sixteenth century Tudor England, tell their stories directly to the audience.
Has Six played in London's West End?
- Six began at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, played London's Arts Theatre that December, and began an open-ended West End run in 2019.
Is there a Six movie?
- SIX The Musical Live!, a film of the original West End cast performing at the Vaudeville Theatre in 2022, was released in UK cinemas in April 2025 and in North American cinemas in August 2026.
The story of Six
Six frames its history as a pop concert, in which Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr take turns performing their own songs and competing to decide who suffered the most as Henry VIII's queen. Rather than dwelling on the king, the show hands the microphone entirely to the women, letting each one tell her story in her own voice.
Although rooted in sixteenth century history, the show is presented with a thoroughly modern sensibility, treating the queens as pop stars addressing the audience directly. It turns a familiar history lesson into a celebration of individual identity and resilience.
The music and the makers
Six was written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, who created both the music and lyrics as well as the concept for the show. The score draws on contemporary pop and dance idioms, with each queen given a song styled after a different pop icon or genre, from powerhouse ballads to upbeat dance anthems.
This pop concert format, performed by a small live band and an all female cast backed by minimal set pieces, gives Six the feel of an actual concert rather than a traditional book musical. The songs are catchy and contemporary by design, aimed at pulling in audiences who might not otherwise seek out a history based musical.
Six on Broadway
Six premiered in the UK before making its way to Broadway, where it officially opened in 2021 after a pandemic related delay. Its concert style staging, compact cast, and infectious pop score made it stand out among more traditional book musicals on Broadway at the time.
The show has become especially popular with younger and first time theatregoers, who respond to its feminist reframing of history and its irresistibly hooky songs. Six is often cited as an example of how a small, tightly conceived musical can become a major cultural moment.
Six: frequently asked questions
When did Six open on Broadway?
Six officially opened on Broadway in 2021.
Who wrote Six?
Six was written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, who created the music, lyrics, and concept.
What is Six about?
It reimagines the six wives of Henry VIII as a modern pop group, each performing a song that tells her own side of the story.
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