07/10/2021
SIX REVIEW (Grand Opera House Belfast)
By Robin Elliott
It was so good to finally get back to The Grand Opera House, Belfastlast night and not only check out the fabulous £12.2 million refurbishment but see the first in a long list of West End Shows coming our way!
I might be a bit biased but the Grand Opera House has always been my favourite of Frank Matcham's theatres and from the minute you walk through the doors and are greeted by the new magnificent staircase you know you are in a world class theatre. It was so good to see lots of excited theatre goers back in Belfast last night and I must also congratulate Ian Wilson and the whole team at the Grand Opera House for the way in which they handled the ongoing COVID restrictions and ensuring that everyone was kept safe.
I can't believe that it has been around two years since I was last in the Opera House, so I was delighted to get an invitation to the opening night of SIX, a show that I didn't really know a lot about but what an amazing show this is! From the moment the Six Queens step on stage the audience were completely blown away by fantastic songs, world class vocals and great harmonies. In fact these ladies could give all girl groups a run for their money and actually have hit records! There was a very special atmosphere as we sat in the plush new seats in the auditorium (which apparently cost around half a million quid) and by the end of the show everyone was on their feet giving the cast a well deserved standing ovation!
So, what is Six all about then? Well, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss came up with a genius idea - a modern retelling of the lives of Henry VIII’s six wives: Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. The Queens come together as a band to stage a pop concert and invite the audience to hear their stories. They can't decide who should be the lead singer, so a singing battle takes place to see who suffered the most as Queen. They take to the mic to tell their tales, remixing five hundred years of historical or HERSTORICAL heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power.
The leading ladies are all outstanding - Caitlin Tipping as Jane Seymour, Vicki Manser as Katherine Howard, Lauren Drew as Catherin of Aragon, Maddison Bulleyment as Anne Boleyn, Shekinah McFarlane as Anna of Cleves & Elena Gyasi as Catherine Parr. They are also accompanied onstage by a fabulous live four piece all girl band. I must also mention the great new sound system installed in auditorium to enhance your listening pleasure.
If you are lucky enough to get tickets, Six is the best 80 minutes you will spend this week and runs at Belfast's Grand Opera House until Sunday. For more info or to book tickets - https://www.goh.co.uk/whats-on/six/
