Review: SIX at Alte Oper, Frankfurt And On Tour In Germany

Divorced. Beheaded. LIVE! The global musical hit Six is already embarking on its second German tour, and the Queens once again proclaim their Herstory with plenty of pep, power and emotion: fans can look forward to the full SIXperience without compromise.

The musical sensation Six has made the leap from the Off-West End to the West End and, with triumphant success, onto international stages, delighting countless members of the Queendom around the world ever since. On several tours, the wives of Henry VIII have already held court throughout North America, East Asia and Europe. The six divas have long since settled in Australia and on Broadway and continue to reign in London. Germany, too, is no stranger to these ladies, making the 2026 tour their second Tudor visit to the country.

“Are you ready, Frankfurt? Here we go!” Right from the start, the six ex-wives of the infamous British monarch Henry VIII set out to answer the ultimate question during a roughly ninety-minute concert: Which Queen deserves to lead the band? To settle the matter, the Tudor queens duel in this witty, wordplay-filled and surprisingly nuanced musical by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, each performing a solo song in which she recounts her life before, during and – if applicable – after her marriage to the notorious ruler. Self-aware humor, raw heartbreak, grand declarations of love, defiant anger, utter despair and biting mockery: every emotional shade finds its place in the performances of the six women, promising a highly entertaining evening that unfortunately ends far too quickly.

Musically, all songs by Marlow and Moss fall broadly within the pop genre, but showcase a wide range of inspirations and influences. From classic power ballads and smooth R&B grooves to bubblegum pop and energetic Latin beats, the score offers remarkable stylistic variety; similarities to artists such as Shakira, Adele, Britney Spears, Beyoncé, Rihanna and Avril Lavigne are impossible to ignore.

Virtually every element of Emma Bailey’s set design and Tim Deiling’s lighting design from the original production has been transferred almost one-to-one to the touring stage, which works effortlessly thanks to the concert format of the show. In fact, Six seems tailor-made for touring productions. Consisting primarily of an LED wall and a generous amount of glitter, the backdrop is illuminated atmospherically for each queen’s solo number – sometimes with flashing strobe effects, sometimes in dramatic reds or cool blues, and occasionally with the appearance of a cross when the Catholic Church comes under fire. The lighting is meticulously synchronized with the rhythm and melodic structure of each song and with the dramatic flow of the dialogue. The lighting design proves remarkably cinematic.

Gabriella Slade’s costumes, retained from London, together with Sam Cox’s wig design, incorporate medieval elements such as crowns, skirts and corsets while giving them a bold contemporary makeover reminiscent of the extravagant concert outfits of pop icons like Madonna and Lady Gaga. Each queen is granted a distinctive look further reinforced by her own colour palette. The costumes are a visual delight. Paul Gatehouse’s sound design is rich and thunderously loud, just as audiences know it from the original production. The sound design delivers the full concert experience, with the volume level remaining every bit as powerful as audiences have come to expect from the original production. In Frankfurt, however, the acoustics of the vast hall of the Alte Oper occasionally lend the sound a slightly echo-heavy quality, which might benefit from some further fine-tuning.

Carrie-Anne Ingrouille’s exuberant choreography, which runs almost continuously throughout the ninety-minute performance, has likewise been recreated exactly from the London production. Blending everything from vogueing, Zumba and hip-hop to salsa, contemporary dance, ballroom styles and musical theatre showdance, the Queens sweep across the stage and, with only a few quieter moments, keep the audience cheering almost nonstop. It is remarkable that none of the performers seem completely exhausted by the end.

The fantastic four-piece band under the direction of Rosabella Gregory – wonderfully consisting entirely of women – also feels like it has been cloned directly from the West End. With bass, drums, guitar and keyboards, Rosie Gregory, Jess Williams, Amanda Dal, Dejeanté Hinks and Maddy Lygo provide impeccable musical accompaniment and deliver with gusto. The “Ladies in Waiting,” named after actual ladies-in-waiting from the Tudor courts, perform with infectious enthusiasm and energy and almost function as a seventh stage entity alongside the six queens.

Naturally, however, the loudest ovations are reserved for the six leading ladies. One of the greatest attractions for many Six fans lies in experiencing and comparing the individual interpretations each actress brings to her role. Many audience members have a favourite queen, and at this Frankfurt premiere numerous cosplayers paid tribute to their respective Tudor heroine. Great care is always taken in casting to ensure that every performer is equally strong, authentic and present – even incorporating their own accents and dialects – so that no single queen emerges as the clear victor while none fades into the background. Nevertheless, everyone in the audience is certain to leave with a personal favourite, and that is part of the show’s charm.

LaSasha Aldredge delivers Catherine of Aragon’s “No Way” flawlessly, portraying her queen as a sly, determined fighter with a slight penchant for schadenfreude. Throughout the other queens’ songs, Aldredge remains fully engaged, providing superb backing vocals and never dropping character for a second. As the opening queen, Catherine of Aragon always runs the risk of being overshadowed by those who follow, but Aldredge commands the stage in her solo moments with an authoritative presence, razor-sharp understated humor and expressive facial and physical acting that steals the show more than once.

Yna Montarde’s Anne Boleyn exudes immense charisma. She presents a dry-witted, somewhat world-weary Boleyn whose occasional slowness on the uptake makes her instantly endearing. Her self-deprecating anthem “Don’t Lose Your Head” is delivered with tremendous vocal power and a strong accent, which not only lends authenticity but is also used masterfully for comic effect.

Following Montarde, Emily Dawson takes centre stage as Jane Seymour. She begins her great ballad “Heart of Stone” almost like an intensely emotional monologue on the verge of tears before gradually unleashing a triumphant powerhouse anthem elevated by virtuosic riffs and an astonishing vocal range. It is a multi-act drama contained within a single song and proves deeply moving. Outside of her solo, Dawson imbues Jane with touches of nerdy humor and a hint of jealousy, adding further dimensions to an otherwise seemingly flawless character.

Jodie Knight fills the role of the German princess Anna of Cleves with cheeky impulsiveness, overflowing self-confidence, undeniable sex appeal and a healthy dose of ironic theatricality. She revels in the role’s many punchlines, twerking and spinning her way through the simultaneously sexy and hilarious “Get Down,” leaving no doubt by the end of her performance that she truly is “the queen of the castle.” As Germany’s queen performing in Germany, Knight enjoys something of a home game and is rewarded with thunderous applause.

As Katherine Howard, Sammy Timbers delivers an emotional rollercoaster. Rather than presenting Howard as a naïve and passive wallflower who seduces men and ultimately loses her head, she creates a playful woman aware of her own attractiveness who gradually falls victim to a patriarchal system. Over the course of a single song, Timbers charts the transformation from innocent lady-in-waiting seeking love to a broken wife destroyed by male desire. The further the rather repetitive song progresses, the more emotional layers she reveals, resulting in a genuinely impressive performance.

Closing the line-up is Eve Kitchingman as Catherine Parr, alternating the role with Layla Chivandire. The actress succeeds in establishing Parr as the sympathetic and somewhat introverted voice of reason within the group. In “I Don’t Need Your Love,” Kitchingman’s convincing acting in particular ensures that Parr emerges as a strong-willed, educated woman far ahead of her time despite her unjust fate. Abi Atchison, Millie Readshaw, Emilia Paige Jurin and Lucia Valentino also join the tour as alternates covering two queens each or as superswings capable of performing all six roles.

The ensemble numbers “Ex-Wives” at the beginning, “Haus of Holbein” midway through the show and “MegaSIX” at the end provide some of the evening’s greatest highlights through the queens’ perfect unity. The six women are simply at their best together. And that, ultimately, is the show’s message: they do not need a man to define them; they only need one another. They successfully transmit that feeling to the audience, rendering the original question of who should become the lead singer entirely irrelevant. In the end, only the party matters – and what a party it is.

A minor drawback – hopefully limited to Frankfurt and absent from the remaining venues – was the distance between the stage and the audience, which somewhat diminished the immersive quality of the show. In London, the queens are almost within arm’s reach and interact directly with spectators, heightening the concert atmosphere. In Frankfurt, the cast does their best to bridge the gap, but those familiar with the London production may find this disappointing.

The euphoric atmosphere that has accompanied the queens from Munich to Frankfurt and will soon carry them on to Düsseldorf and Berlin is ample proof that Six has become a major success story in Germany as well.

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