The Original Student Queens
Before the professional tours and West End glitz, Six was a student production at the 2017 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, created by Cambridge students Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss. The very first queens to take the mic were a cast of their peers. This original
lineup included Megan Gilbert as Catherine of Aragon, Ashleigh Weir as Anne Boleyn, Holly Musgrave as Jane Seymour, Tilda Wickham as Anna of Cleves, Annabel Marlow (co-creator Toby’s sister) as Katherine Howard, and Shimali de Silva as Catherine Parr. While they didn't continue with the show professionally, their raw energy and interpretation of the material during its formative stage were crucial, proving the concept had legs and attracting the attention of producers who would take it to the next level.
From College Project to Professional Polish
When producers Kenny Wax, George Stiles, and others came on board, the decision was made to mount a short professional run at London's Arts Theatre in late 2017. This required a whole new cast, marking the first major shift in the show's lineup. This showcase cast featured Renée Lamb (Aragon), Christina Modestou (Boleyn), Natalie Paris (Seymour), Genesis Lynea (Cleves), Aimie Atkinson (Howard), and Izuka Hoyle (Parr). Of this group, only Natalie Paris and Aimie Atkinson would continue with the show as it embarked on its first UK tour in 2018, establishing themselves as the definitive Seymour and Howard for years to come.
The Birth of the 'OG' West End Cast
The 2018 UK Tour is where the legendary original West End cast finally assembled. Joining Natalie Paris and Aimie Atkinson were Jarneia Richard-Noel as Catherine of Aragon, Millie O'Connell as Anne Boleyn, Alexia McIntosh as Anna of Cleves, and Maiya Quansah-Breed as Catherine Parr. This is the group that became synonymous with the show, earning a collective Olivier Award nomination and solidifying the pop-diva chemistry that fans fell in love with. Their distinct personalities and vocal styles became the blueprint. Creators Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss have often said that so much of the show is shaped by what each individual performer brings to her queen, making this specific combination of talent a kind of lightning in a bottle.
The American Queens Take the Throne
When it came time for the show's North American premiere in Chicago in 2019, an entirely new cast was assembled, creating a distinctly American flavor for the queens. This tryout production, which broke box office records, starred Adrianna Hicks (Aragon), Andrea Macasaet (Boleyn), Abby Mueller (Seymour), Brittney Mack (Cleves), Samantha Pauly (Howard), and Anna Uzele (Parr). This cast eventually transferred with the show to Broadway. The decision to recast for the US was a deliberate creative choice, allowing the show to find a new dynamic with performers who brought their own cultural reference points and pop inspirations to the roles, ensuring the show felt fresh rather than like a carbon copy of the London production.
What Ifs and Near-Misses
While there aren't widespread stories of major celebrities turning down roles in the early days (it was a small student show, after all), the entire casting evolution is a giant "what if." What if Annabel Marlow had continued as her sister's inspiration, Katherine Howard? What if the entire 2017 professional cast had carried on to the UK tour? The alternate and understudy system also gives a glimpse into different possibilities. Performers like Grace Mouat, who was the original swing and dance captain, eventually played multiple queens, offering audiences a taste of a different royal lineup on any given night. Each new cast, from the West End to Broadway to the multiple touring companies, reinvents the group's chemistry, proving that while the original queens were iconic, the roles themselves were built to be reborn.
