The original West End Six Queens: what have they done since?

Six is celebrating a milestone six years in the West End!

The hit musical from Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss allows Henry VIII’s wives to remix herstory in a pop concert format.

Following runs in Cambridge and Edinburgh, and showcase performances in London, it was in 2018 that Six returned to the Arts Theatre. Starting their reign were Aimie Atkinson as Katherine Howard, Alexia McIntosh as Anna of Cleves, Millie O’Connell as Anne Boleyn, Natalie Paris as Jane Seymour, Maiya Quansah-Breed as Catherine Parr, Jarnéia Richard-Noel as Catherine of Aragon, with Grace Mouat as a swing. The principal six were collectively nominated at the 2019 Olivier Awards, and all together they formed the pop group SVN.

While we continue to wait for the proshot to be released, let’s take a look at what they’ve been up to since…

Aimie Atkinson

Since retiring the pink ponytail, Atkinson has originated the role of Vivian Ward in the West End premiere of Pretty Woman, and the same with Rem in Death Note: The Musical. She’s currently preparing to star in  the world premiere of Figaro: An Original Musical, alongside Jon Robyns and Cayleigh Capald. It’ll receive two concert performances at The London Palladium next February.

Alexia McIntosh

This queen of the castle went on to perform in Birmingham Hippodrome’s festive pantomime Goldilocks and the Three Bears, and in Big Aunty at the Belgrade Theatre.

Millie O’Connell

You’d better believe that O’Connell has been busy since Six! She took on the role of Velcro in Soho Cinders before starring in Be More Chill as Chloe Valentine – a role she reprised when it transferred to the West End. She played Jeanie in Hair both at the Turbine Theatre and at The London Palladium and took on the role of Maureen Johnson in the Hope Mill production of Rent; which reunited her with another Queen and earned her a WhatsOnStage Award nomination. More recently, you might have caught O’Connell eating chocolate in the Wonka movie, in 18th century France with Marie Antoinette in Cake, or portraying Babe in the UK premiere of The Cher Show.

Natalie Paris

Paris has played a part in premiering new musicals; appearing in The Regulars, Emojiland and No Limits, as well as workshops for Starry. She has recently wrapped up a big! HUGE! tour of Pretty Woman, where she played Kit De Luca. Super fans may have heard her voice on Strictly Come Dancing as she is one of their live singers too.

Maiya Quansah-Breed

The final wife, but by no means her final role! Quansah-Breed played Mimi Marquez in Rent, reuniting with O’Connell. She returned to Manchester in the UK premiere of The Go-Go’s jukebox musical Head Over Heels and for fan-favourite Lizzie, before returning to London to portray Princess Diana in the eagerly-anticipated arrival of Diana. Since then, she has been part of the cast of Rehab, and has also performed in workshops and readings of new musicals Game Theory, Starry (with Paris), and Lady M. 

Jarnéia Richard-Noel

Richard-Noel took to the avocado stage in Millennials at the Other Palace before guest-starring in Ghostlight at the Union Theatre. She’s also appeared in pantomimes in Norwich and Plymouth, and has just finished moving it around the UK in the Madagascar tour.

Grace Mouat

Super swing Mouat has been no stranger to the stage since Six! She joined the original company of & Juliet, before appearing in the London revival of Legally Blonde and leading Rodgers + Hammerstein’s Cinderella alongside Jacob Fowler, who she reunited with in Before After. Her other stage credits have seen her spend Christmas at the Columbia Inn (White Christmas in Sheffield) and enter the Bake Off tent (The Great British Bake Off Musical in the West End), but for now you’ll find her at North Shore playing Karen Smith in Mean Girls.

Watch the current Queens play our game as part of Six’s sixth birthday celebrations:

@whatsonstage

Celebrating six years of @SIX 👑 in the West End with some Queens! 🎲 #Six #SixTheMusical #WestEnd @Hannah Lowther @thaotheresenguyen @recaoakley776 @Inez 🪩 @Meg🕺🏻 @Ellie Jane Grant

♬ Monkeys Spinning Monkeys – dg cria