Review of West Suffolk College-based Conservatoire East's production of musical SIX: TEEN EDITION in Bury St Edmunds

A new production of a musical called SIX: TEEN EDITION is worth more than a Len Goodman-style ‘SEVEN’ in my opinion – it gets a high-scoring and strictly brilliant nine from me.

The production has been created by Conservatoire East - the acting academy based at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds - and tells the story of King Henry VIII and his (SIX) wives.

This fun and funny production takes on the theme of a reality-TV-style talent show.

If such a show existed, I guess you would call it ‘I’m an ex-wife – please don’t cut my head off’ – or the ‘axe factor’.

It’s a whistle-stop rollercoaster ride through history incorporating many musical genres.

The opening number was like watching Lucy Worsley commentate on Eurovision.

The plot pans out by seeing each of the wives step up to the metaphorical guillotine to belt out a number or two in various styles, trying to prove that they are the best.

During the course of this 75-minute trip down Henry VIII’s lane, the competitiveness between the wives is transferred into a more hopeful message of unity and togetherness. (And my

goodness, we could all do with a little bit of that at the moment).

The six leads are equally splendid in their own individual way and all very different in terms of their styles and subtleties - and they are ably supported by a brilliant chorus in this entirely-female cast.

Two moments that stood for me personally out was a cracking German-style number that was simply wunderbar – and a couple of solo numbers by Eloise Jackson (Jane Seymour) and Connie Dunne (Anne Boleyn) properly brought down my house.

But hats off (not heads off) to all performers. Bury has definitely got talent.

Music direction was performed by Claire Bostock and her band and the great British maker and director of this tasty showstopper was Han Colthorpe and her team.

Whilst reality shows seem to be on the wane because of overkill, I think this production could help get them back on track.

I’m not sure what Simon Cowell would have thought of it.

He’d probably come out with the old classic – I don’t like it (big pause)...I love it.

By John Nice

• The show runs until Saturday, November 5, at West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds. For tickets see here. Next up for Conservatoire East is a production of By the Bog of Cats that starts on November 16 followed by Macbeth that starts on November 30.