Erin Caldwell has an apology to make for audiences flocking to see West End musical sensation Six at His Majesty’s this week.
“You’ll be singing the songs for weeks after, so sorry in advance – but not sorry,” laughed the performer who is taking on the role of Jane Seymour in this unique retelling of the six wives of Henry VIII.
It puts the Tudor queens in the spotlight to tell their own stories – but in the setting of a high-octane pop concert that offers audiences a roller-coaster tour of history, complete with banging tunes.
“It is high energy, it is empowering, it has a great message and even greater music,” said Paisley-born Erin. “The music just sticks with you – I’ll be doing my washing up and all of a sudden I’ll be signing House of Holbein.”
“But it is great entertainment for all the family, it speaks to such a wide range of people and it is a very inclusive show, which I’m very proud of.”
Among those in the cast alongside Erin are Nicole Louise Lewis (Catherine of Aragon), Laura Dawn Pyatt (Anne Boleyn), Kenedy Small (Anna of Cleves), Lou Henry (Katherine Howard) and Aoife Haakenson (Catherine Parr).
Queens infused with voices of stars
The writers of the multi-award-winning show, Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, gave each of the wives the musical flavour of modern pop icons – such as Catherine of Aragon being influenced by Beyonce and Jennifer Lopez or Katherine Howard being a la Britney Spears and Ariana Grande.
Jane Seymour is infused with the huge voices of Adele, Sia and Celine Dion – so no pressure on Erin, then?
“It’s just some small artists, you know, nothing big, no one notable,” she joked. “But it is fantastic. You really can hear the qualities our wonderful writers have put in and you can feel each pop star in all six queens.
“But with mine, I was kind of raised on Adele and she has been such a massive influence on music. So, to sing songs that little snippets of Adele or Sia is really special.”
Erin, who also starred in West End hits Heathers and Pretty Woman, said the cast were also asked about what artists inspire them and how they could implement them into the songs, which allowed each of them to make the parts their own.
‘Music is such a drive in the show’
“I love artists like JoJo, Celine Dion, Jessie J, those sorts of artists that have a lot of intricate running but also lovely big belting moments in their songs. So I brought that to the table.”
From its early origins as a new musical staged at the Edinburgh Fringe in 2017 by students with the Cambridge University Musical Theatre, Six has has gone on to be a global sensation, dominating the West End and Broadway, picking up almost too many awards to count – including two Tonys – and now touring the world.
As Six heads for a near-sell-out run at His Majesty’s, Erin has little hesitation in saying why she thinks the musical has become so incredibly popular.
“It’s clever, it’s funny, again the music is such a drive in the show. And the songs have this wonderful humour – you have things like Don’t Lose Ur Head or Get Down – which have great comic moments,” said Erin, who also praised the fantastic costumes and lighting.
“And you have six female identifying individuals bringing in a new, younger audience who might not be naturally attracted to musicals because it’s that sort of concert style, fun, high-energy evening.”
Show has a serious message
And sitting behind all the glitz, glamour and entertainment is a serious message about empowerment and inclusivity, Erin believes.
“For me, it’s seeing six women lead a show,” she said. “It’s not very common that we have lots of women-led shows. For anyone who identifies as a woman, it’s a very inclusive show, our wonderful band are all female identifying.
“So you have 10 women on the stage telling these stories that are the women’s stories to tell, but have been written though history by men. It’s nice to turn the whole thing on its head and give their side of the story.”
And the telling is very special, warm and inviting with the queens talking directly to audiences and making them feel included.
“We always say the audience member is the seventh queen. We break that fourth wall pretty instantly and that allows people to feel part of our story, which is pretty special.”
‘You will be smiling the entire time’
It seems to be working, too, according to the reaction of audiences as Six tours the UK, said Erin.
“We are talking to the audience as a whole, but we also have moments with individual audience members, so it’s lovely to see them so engaged with what’s going on, we have their focus the entire time.
“When we get to the end, we have a really fun mega mix and everyone gets up and dances. It is such a fun evening.”
It’s a night that Erin is confident Aberdeen audiences will love, too.
“Come along and enjoy it, you’ll be surprised at how much history you learn along with having a great night. You will be smiling the entire time and, as I said, you will be singing the songs for weeks.”
Six The Musical is at His Majesty’s Theatre from Tuesday May 9 until Saturday May 13. For tickets and information visit aberdeenperformingarts.com or call 01224 641122.
