MATTHEW HAWKINS applauds a psychotherapist’s disection of William Blake
His better halves
PETER MASON welcomes the national tour of an irreverent show that switches the spotlight to the wives of Henry VIII

Six The Musical
Vaudeville Theatre, London
TOBY MARLOW and Lucy Moss’s breathless, modern take on the fate of Henry VIII’s six wives now has a “forever” home at the Vaudeville in the West End, but it’s also about to embark on a British tour, beginning with Stockton-on-Tees and continuing through to Oxford at the back end of next year.
If it’s coming near you, then discard any prejudices you might have about glitzy, in-your-face musicals — and indeed about King Harry himself. Buy a ticket: it’s great fun.
Six has made its name with catchy pop songs, sparkly costumes, cutting wit and the novel idea of staging a 21st century gameshow in which Henry’s resurrected wives — all more or less divas — are pitted against each other to find out who was the most wronged.
Similar stories

MIK SABIERS enjoys the theatrical feminist six piece who have a lot of fun that the audience feeds off as the set rolls on

MAYER WAKEFIELD salutes a fresh angle on the conflicted soul that led the civil rights movement

PETER MASON reckons the NYT’s production of Shakespeare’s comedy is the pick of the Christmas shows on offer in London

PAUL DONOVAN applauds a new production of Stoppard’s dated, yet witty study of middle-class morals and misdemeanours