Six The Musical: Smart, sassy and incredibly fun - here’s the real reason history remembers Henry VIII

Think again, that’s just a taste of what’s in store for the audience of Six the musical. This award-wining show is a British musical that reimagines the life of Henry VIII’s six wives as modern day pop stars, competing for who had it worst in their marriage. With no interval and only 80 minutes long, from the moment the queens step on stage you’re treated to a show that’s smart, sassy and incredibly fun.

I didn’t realise quite how much of a hit the show has been until I spotted that it had already sold out all of the dates in Edinburgh. I found myself queuing in the rain alongside fans who were excited to be seeing the renewed cast and fawned over me being their to see it for the first time - enthusiastically reassuring me that I’d love it. I did!

The marriages are known for being messy, divorce seeming like a treat after two of the wives were beheaded. Tied to the gluttonous King, these are some of history’s best-known women. Many of us remember the ‘divorced, beheaded, died’ tune, but who actually knows the detail of their story?

Well, this time it is being told from their perspective, each getting their moment in the spotlight. Every wife brought their unique flair and had the audience roaring with applause. The show kicked off with the powerful energy of Catherine of Aragon ... if she was reincarnated as Beyonce. The performance is peppered with references, I counted three to Queen Bey.

It was Anne Boleyn who gave the most memorable performance with her feisty attitude and energy on stage. She emulated a character like Lily Allen or Avril Lavigne and received a prolonged series of whoops and cheers from the crowd.

Adult jokes and cheeky one-liners are sprinkled throughout the show and have everyone laughing. However the small cast does balance the humour with some emotion, as seen in Jane Seymour’s Adele-style love ballad. Then the show throws another curveball with a German techno dance scene, complete with neon ruffs to introduce Anne of Cleves. It’s unexpected, fun and utterly brilliant. They also give a clever nod to the modern world of online dating as Henry swipes right on Katherine Howard, only for her then to be accused of not looking like her profile photo. The character had a youthful pop style similar to Ariana Grande - and the 30 inch long pony tail to match.

Awkwardly, as Katherine Howard stood in the spotlight and there was a pause in the music, a member of the audience wolf whistled… clearly someone needs a one-way ticket back to the Tudors. I’m sure he’d fit right into a spot in the stocks!

Alongside all of this, I actually learnt a bit more history (or her-story as they’d say!) than I did when we studied the Tudors back at school. My favourite part was learning what the wives did, beyond just getting married. One was a published author and another a patron of the arts.

And after all of the sass and rivalry, Catherine Parr, wrapped the solos up with an R&B inspired performance and one important takeaway: the only reason anyone even remembers Henry VII is because of his wives – six incredible women.

After the show had its world debut at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival back in 2017, it has been a hit around the world, including in the West End and Broadway. The musical has just kicked off its latest UK tour back in Edinburgh and has shows scheduled across the UK throughout 2024 and 2025.

While the real life stories of these queens didn’t have happy endings, Six the musical delivers a triumphant finale that’s guaranteed to leave you with a smile on your face.