"Six - Teen Edition" by Kristian Thomas Company.

Duchess Theatre, Long Eaton.

This is my very first viewing of the musical that has had millions of theatre viewers raving about; I couldn't get to see the touring production that visited Nottingham of late, and if I can't get to see the professional touring version, I can't think of any local theatre group I know who would have the balls to stage such an incredible production of "Six" but Kristian Thomas Company.

Most people, if they’ve heard of King Henry VIII, know two things: He was the father of Queen Elizabeth I, and he had six wives. But who were these women, and how did they feel about being one in the long line of spouses for an unrelentingly picky man?

The six wives of Henry VIII are Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, Katherine Howard, and Catherine Parr. "Six" tells each of their stories in a very atypical fashion: the wives have all come together as part of a pop girl group, and they each sing a song about who has suffered the most as Henry’s wife. The winner will be the new leader of the group.

The only difference I could tell between "Six" and the "Six Teen Edition" was the slight changing of some of the lyrics to make the lyrics more "friendly" to a teen cast.

As with every show that I've seen from Kristian Thomas Company, the standard of performance, choreography, acting, costumes and overall sheen is of top priority, and this show has all of the above and an added fistful of sass and attitude.

The Six Queens explode on stage, and I really couldn't pick a favourite. Each one complimented the others with their energy and vocal abilities and as a group cast could not be faulted. Each Queen had their own song, and here are the Queens for Thursday night's show.

Nadia Potter plays Anne Boleyn whose ironic solo song is called "Don't Lose Your Head".

Isabelle Bambrick plays Jane Seymour. Seymour's song "Heart Of Stone" is an amazing ballad and Isabelle's voice matched the power of the song.

Charlotte Diggle plays Catherine Of Aragon, whose song is called "No Way". 

Amy Shelmerdine plays Anne Of Cleves. Her solo song is "Get Down".

Francesca Foster plays Katherine Howard. "All You Wanna Do" is Francesca's spotlight song. 

Sylvie Cole plays Catherine Parr. Parr's song is "I Don't Need Your Love".

All six join together for two big songs in "Ex Wives" and the title song, "Six".

Our Six Queens are joined by an ensemble consisting of Felicity Holman, Holly Greaves, Katie Freer, Laila Cook, Macie Barrington and Sophie Ross.

Directed by Alysha Gomes, along with the fierce cast, she has brought to life the characters of the individual Queens, creating more of a pop concert feel on stage with plenty of friendly rivalry and banter between the Queens. It is energetic and bang up to date, and I can only assume that this had to be a labour of love for the Queen of Directing.

Choreographed by Kristian Cunningham. As with the directing, the choreography is so fresh and full of energy, and the Queens, as well as the ensemble have, yet again, done Mr C proud in the choreography department.

Musical Director for "Six" is Sam Hedley. The energy, passion and attitude that these six women put into their vocals highlight the work that Sam has put in with all six.

Sound design is by Dave Dallard, and I know that I always seem to give the sound operators some grief, but tonight, there was not a single missed cue, the sound mix was excellent, and it felt like I was at a pop concert, so I have nothing but praise for Dave and Jack Clark on tonight's sound.

Lighting design is by Stephen Greatorex. This is one of the best lighting designs for a musical at The Duchess that I have seen for a very long time. The lighting really did compliment the sound for being big, bright and colourful and, as I keep saying, gave the feeling of a pop concert.

The fantastic costumes are designed by Kristian and Alysha and worked on by the talented seamstresses Kim Tuplin-Mace and Jan Brockhurst.

The staging for this show is by Stage For Hire, and on the upper level of the staging were six right royal thrones for the Queens, and the ensemble, to repose on at times.

"Six" was well worth waiting for, and even though the timings for the show was eighty minutes, it seemed to come and go in the wink of a regal eye. And yet again, another standing ovation, and not by Royal command but by an appreciative audience.

"Six Teen Edition" is at the Duchess Theatre in Long Eaton until Friday 29 March, and it's no surprise that it's been sold out throughout the run.

Photography by Betty Gamble Photography.