Six the Musical – From Conference Room to Global Phenomenon – My Journey with the Show
Today we had a trip to the cinema to see Six the Musical. Supposedly to celebrate Mr Fairyowered’s birthday, but an emergency at work made him miss the show. But watching the big screen made me think about my journey with the show.
Some shows announce themselves the moment you see them. For me, Six the Musical was one of those rare, unmistakable sparks. I first encountered it in 2017 at the Edinburgh Fringe, when Toby Marlow himself handed me a leaflet on the Mile. Curiosity led us to a conference room in the Apex Hotel, hardly a glamorous setting for a future West End smash – but from the opening beat, I knew this was going to be something special.
Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, whilst studying at Cambridge University, it was performed by members of the university musical society – including Toby’s sister Annabel.
The energy, wit, and originality radiating from that tiny makeshift stage left no doubt in my mind. Six wasn’t just another fringe musical; it was a bold new voice. And sure enough, within a year it had found its way to London’s Arts Theatre, where we reviewed it at the beginning of 2018. The excitement of seeing it step onto a West End stage, polished yet still buzzing with that same raw power, was electric. After a short tour, it returned to the Arts Theatre, where it stayed until Covid hit in March 2020
By 2019, the show had already grown into a phenomenon. I was there when the Queens took the stage at the Olivier Awards, their infectious performance announcing to the industry – and the world – that this was no fringe curiosity but a cultural movement in the making. The roar of the crowd that night confirmed it: Six had arrived.
Since then, it has only continued to expand – across the UK, Broadway, touring productions, and a devoted global fandom. What Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss created is nothing short of extraordinary: a piece that reframes history with humour and heart, gives voice to women whose stories were long overshadowed, and does it all with irresistible pop flair. And I was lucky enough to see Six the Musical at Chicago’s Shakespeare Theatre in June 2019.
Now reigning live at the Vaudville Theatre and still showing in some cinemas, Six shows no sign of stopping. Marlow and Moss were the first winners for the fairypowered Aurora Award for rising stars and their star continues shine brightly
From a conference room at the Fringe to international stages, the journey of Six the Musical is one of those theatre stories that reminds us why we go to the theatre in the first place – to be surprised, delighted, and to witness the birth of something truly new. Marlow and Moss are not just writers; they are trailblazers, and Six is a crown jewel in modern musical theatre.