Six - Teen Edition

It is with immense pleasure that I reflect upon Moyraverty Arts & Drama Society’s vibrant production of SIX: Teen Edition. To mark your 29th year with such a contemporary, demanding, and energetically feminist piece speaks volumes about the society’s ambition and evolving spirit. My sincere thanks to Kieran, Laura, Adam, and the entire production team for such a warm welcome and superb hospitality. The atmosphere backstage and in the auditorium was one of focused excitement, a testament to the inclusive community you have built.

From the moment the audience took their seats, the production values were apparent. The open set, backed by fabulous projections, provided a perfect, flexible focus for the concert-style performance. The use of projections onto the cyclorama was not merely decorative but narrative, greatly enhancing each phase of the show and providing crucial visual effects for each queen’s story. Combined with atmospheric haze and strong opening lighting states, a lovely atmosphere was created, setting a professional tone before a note was sung. The use of backing tracks was handled confidently, maintaining the essential driving pulse of the score.

The fabulous Queen’s costumes were a highlight. The principal wives’ outfits, each thoughtfully colour-coded and characterful, showed excellent attention to detail, while the sleek blacks of the dancing ensemble provided a sharp, unifying contrast. This visual clarity immediately helped to define the six distinct personalities at the heart of the show.

I must note that I had the pleasure of seeing one of two casts; while my comments pertain to the talented performers I saw on Saturday afternoon, I extend my congratulations to the entire company, confident that the alternate cast delivered with equal commitment and skill.

The principal cast formed a cohesive and dynamic unit. Beautiful harmonies were a consistent strength, particularly in the ensemble numbers and the poignant ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’ remix. The cast also proved adept at creating beautiful pictures through their staging, using levels (up stage centre) and relationships effectively to tell their collective and individual stories.

Catherine of Aragon (Shirin Mouhsine) began the contest with strong authority, using clear diction to ‘tell the story’ and set the scene effectively. A reminder for all, but particularly in the defiant ‘No Way’, to maintain eye-line for the audience – head up – to fully command the space and connect with your audience. 

Anne Boleyn (Kaylah Watts) embraced the playful, mischievous spirit of ‘The Temptress’. Her rendition of ‘Don’t Lose Your Head’ was delivered with great diction, and her characterisation, amplified by fantastic green costume details and glasses, was sharply defined.

Jane Seymour (Drew Devlin) possesses a good singing voice, which served the ballad ‘Heart of Stone’ well. The number was well delivered, supported by particularly great pictures, good lighting and projection. While the emotional core was present, engaging more directly with the audience would deepen its impact. A minor technical note: the harmonies went a little askew at the ending of this number; a focus on locking in those final chords will provide a flawless finish.

Anne of Cleves (Evarose Amos) brought immense energy and great movement to ‘Get Down’. The feisty costume change was a clever touch. Careful attention to diction amidst the physicality will ensure every witty lyric lands.

Katherine Howard (Clodagh Cooper) with excellent pink hair delivered the complex ‘All You Wanna Do’ with compelling good movement and choreography, navigating its emotional arc with conviction. Diction was good, though a momentary sound issue (feedback) briefly intruded – a hazard of the live theatre environment, which was swiftly overcome.

Catherine Parr (Keeli Campbell) provided a powerful highpoint with ‘I Don’t Need Your Love’. This was a standout moment, featuring excellent vocals and clear diction, conveying both strength and vulnerability.

The company number, ‘Haus of Holbein’, was well delivered with great choreography that captured the number’s absurd humour. A note for all in such tightly staged moments: be careful to stay in your pool of light to remain fully visible. This precision extends to microphone technique; when working as a tight-knit sextet, there is a need to be more precise with mic hands to create uniform pictures and avoid muffled sounds or bumps.

Staging notes for the company: the use of pools of light was effective, but principles must be conscious of moving out of light during key moments. Furthermore, as a collective, working on those eye-lines – to raise heads and look up at the audience – will transform powerful performances into truly shared connections with the auditorium. You have the talent and energy; let the audience see it in your eyes.

The finale, ‘We’re SIX’, was a triumphant conclusion. The enthusiasm of the cast and fantastic dancing was matched by great lighting to enhance the performance and choreography, resulting in a joyous, uplifting finish that rightly brought the house down and prompted a standing ovation.

In conclusion, this was a triumphant production for MADS. It showcased not only the society’s growing maturity in tackling modern musical theatre but, most excitingly, the fabulous talent of MADS juniors on stage. The future of this society is clearly in passionate and capable hands. You took a celebrated piece of theatre and made it your own, delivering a performance full of colour, voice, and undeniable girl power. 

Thank you to everyone involved, onstage and off, for a thoroughly entertaining afternoon. I look forward to seeing what you conquer for your 30th anniversary.

 

The views in this report are solely of the author.

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