9 hours ago
SIX star Alexia: 'I think it's quite inspirational'
Hit musical SIX is back in Dublin and the show's original star Alexia McIntosh has also returned – and she's having a ball - as Anna of Cleeves.
Currently running at Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, SIX follows the six wives of the infamous English King Henry VIII as they take to the mic to tell their own personal tales, remixing five hundred years of historical heartbreak into an 80-minute celebration of 21st century girl power.
For her performances, Alexia received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Actress in a Supporting Role in a Musical and recently reprised the role on-screen in the record-breaking SIX the Musical Live.
RTÉ Entertainment caught up with her the day after the show opened in Dublin and she was in great form. "Oh, it was brilliant," she said when asked about opening night. "I always enjoy performing SIX, it's such a great vibe."
And she speaks as someone who there, back at the start, of course . . .
"Yeah, back in 2018. The original. It's been quite a journey. It's been a dream come true for me."
SIX has enjoyed a remarkable run of success since then. Unlike most hit shows, it was a first-time effort from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, a pair of students who thought it would be a good idea to write a musical about the six wives of Henry VII from the wives' perspectives.
They couldn't have dreamed of the heights the show has attained.
It became a global hit that rocked both London's West End and Broadway in New York. No mean feat.
"Exactly!" says Alkexia. "And I remember getting the phone call asking if I'd like to audition. Two students from Cambridge have made this musical. And none of us really knew what it was about.
"So we were thrown in at the deep end. I was cast at the last minute, then a week later we hadn't read the script but had to rehearse a song to then perform at West End Live in Trafalgar Square.
"You can look that up on YouTube. It's in a raw format. We're all in our clothes (laughs) - and we still hadn't read the script yet!
"To see it become the phenomenon that it is, is just amazing."
With the exception of prog rock keyboard whiz Rick Wakeman's 1973 concept album The Six Wives of Henry VIII, it's not a subject that would've been part of pop culture.
Naturally, it's also not the kind of topic that would feature highly in history lessons in Irish schools, but Alexia McIntosh grew up in Birmingham. Even then, she admits no previous expertise on the subject before SIX came calling.
"Well, in school you're taught a bit about Tudor history . . . you don't really go into detail. For me, I knew kind of the basics, but to be able to research these women, it just changes your whole outlook on life because you can't believe what was going on in those times - and what they got away with, really.
As for Henry himself? "He was a bit bipolar I think! If you got on the wrong side of him, you would end up dead! I think people were walking on eggshells, to be honest."And a lot of these women were teenagers, they were Ladies in Waiting. To know that they all knew each other and some form of friendship, association, makes it even more amazing.
"Because that's not really taught [in English schools]: how he was cheating on his wife with this one; he was in love with these teenage girls; it starts to become really dark when you get into the nitty-gritty of what went on.
"I think I was shocked. Disgusted. These women really do need a voice, to say what they went true - we just need to keep their legacy alive."
Of course, that's the thing about SIX - it takes this dark tale, six of them really, and turns it in a joyous, uplifting show. That's quite an achievement. The fact that it's been such a hit – and not just in its native England, but all around the world – tells a tale about its impact as a show.
"They always say there's nothing new under the sun," says Alexia. "Unfortunately, people will experience some form of trauma in their lives.
"I think that the style of the show is telling these stories through songs so that makes it more palatable . . . and actually, we need to celebrate these lives and show that there is hope.
"I think it's quite inspirational and that's why people gravitate towards this musical."
