Review: Six, Theatre Royal Norwich

Wow - what a way to reopen a theatre after being closed for almost a year and a half! Six is a powerhouse of a musical: it starts at full pelt and doesn’t slack for the entire 80 minutes - and there's no interval.

You could be forgiven for thinking it all sounds a bit too smart and too forced. A musical about the six wives of Henry VIII? How would that work? Well, incredibly well, is the easy answer. It’s like a rock show, with each wife vying for leading lady status. Each presents their story, in various musical forms, trying to claim they suffered the most at the hands of one of our best known monarchs.

The lyrics are very clever and just about all musical genres are there - from ballads to rap - and there are some slick dance moves as you can really appreciate the strong chemistry between all six actresses.

Special mention must go to the four-strong band, again all women, who keep the relentless beat going.

It’s easy to see why the show has such a cult following - and a young one, too. Who doesn’t love a bit of girl power! Certainly the Norwich audience were on their feet, wanting more.

The show continues until Saturday. Visit www.norwichtheatre.org

Sarah Hardy