| Site | OpeningNightReviews.co.uk |
| Date | 15th Aug 2024 |
|---|---|
| Society | Hayling Musical Society |
| Venue | Hayling Island Community Centre, Hayling Island |
| Type of Production | Musical |
| Director | Emily Harkness, Megan Fisher |
| Musical Director | Emily Harkness |
| Choreographer | Megan Fisher |
| Reviewer | Ewan Wharton |
Just after I walked down the corridor towards the main hall and passed a beautifully displayed and rather tempting raffle, I entered the space and found myself totally submerged in a wave of haze and bright, multi-coloured lights. I notice the illuminated banners of this contemporary musical’s iconic logo that framed the stage perfectly and before the show had even begun, I sensed professionalism… and my senses didn’t fail me.
Emily Harkness and Megan Fisher’s production of “Six: Teen Edition” (by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss) began with a dynamic and impactful opening delivered by six talented young ladies fully equipped with spotless harmonies and synchronised dance moves. These young ladies (‘The Queens’) sustained this energetic and magnetic performance throughout their one act extravaganza and shined at every opportunity.
‘Six’ recounts the experiences of Henry VIII’s six wives in the context of a talent show where each queen battles to be revered as the most mistreated, most talented and to win the hearts of the audience. Wrought with pop culture references, pop costume and pop music (for example, an electro remix of ‘Greensleeves’), the piece takes the essence of the medieval era and reworks it into the zeitgeist of the 21st century. As each biography unfolds, the queens consider their mutual struggles and seek to reclaim their place in ‘HIStory’ as individuals and not the wives of the same tyrant.
The Queens perform challenging solos in order of the famous playground chant and I shall offer my thoughts on The Queens in that same order.
Divorced: Daisy Harkness (Katherine of Aragon) is the first to throw her crown in the ring. It is clear from the outset that Daisy is a powerhouse vocalist. As well as delivering an confident solo ‘No Way’, she provided distinctive backing vocals to complement the rest of the cast throughout. Her comedic delivery was also superb.
Beheaded: Isabel Kennard (Anne Boleyn) gives a cheeky performance as the first fatality. She performs the Lily Allen-esque ‘Don’t lose you head’ with controlled vocal technique, whilst energetically hitting every mark in Megan Fisher’s captivating choreography.
Died: Hattie Urwin (Jane Seymour) alters the pace with the ballad ‘Heart of Stone’. Hattie provides an engaging contrast to the piece as she sings of her unrequited love for Henry VIII and laments that she will never see her son grow up. With refined vocal tone, Hattie executes the song genre well and acts her role with brilliantly believable expression.
Divorced: Tilly Petley (Anne of Cleves) reignites the fast pace of the show with a charismatic rendition of ‘Haus of Holbein’.
Over bass synth and trap beats (courtesy of Tom Davison’s excellent sound mastering),
Tilly performs with smooth alto vocals and dances with understated confidence.
At this point, it must be recognised that Chris Pratt’s lighting design (with assistance from Ian Pratt) is genuinely spectacular. To have transformed a local community centre to a large scale concert venue is an achievement in itself, but to execute thousands of punchy, precise lighting cues was marvellous to watch.
Beheaded: Brooke Pearce (Catherine Howard) performs with drive and attitude as the penultimate queen. Her high belts and riffs are impressive to hear in ‘All you wanna do’. Her acting evokes sympathy for her grizzly ending and shifts the tone to introduce the show’s feminist message nicely.
Last, but not least… Survived: Bali Sherrington (Catherine Parr) has been waiting with her chorus parts and occasional singing lines and somehow has the stamina to perform a showstopper of a solo: ‘I don’t need your love’. She portrays the outspoken and opinionated Queen excellently with a quality vocal performance.
To bring the message home, all Six Queens unite against their common oppressor in an upbeat and uplifting finale to highlight the historical issue of women being sidelined in the history books and instead, celebrate their individual accomplishments.
Hats off to the collaborative efforts of Harkness and Fisher. Harkness’s vocal coaching and teaching of multiple harmonies really give that wow-factor. Fisher’s choreography is consistently engaging and matches the rhythm and tone of the tunes brilliantly.
Six: Teen Edition runs in the Hayling Island Community Centre until 17th August.
