International smash-hit Six The Musical returns to Australia in 2026 with seasons in Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane, introducing a new Australian cast of Queens.
by Paul Cashmere
Six The Musical will return to Australian stages in 2026 and 2027, continuing its global dominance with a new local production confirmed for Melbourne, Sydney and Brisbane.
The pop-concert musical will open at Melbourne’s Comedy Theatre from July 24, 2026, before heading to Theatre Royal Sydney from October 9, 2026, and concluding its current announced run at QPAC’s Playhouse Theatre in Brisbane from January 2, 2027.
The production reunites Australian producers Louise Withers, Michael Coppel and Linda Bewick, as the show extends its ongoing international lifecycle.
The return of Six The Musical underlines the show’s rare longevity in contemporary musical theatre, where pop-driven storytelling and historical reinterpretation have helped it evolve into a global touring franchise. Since its debut at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2017, Six has built a sustained commercial and cultural footprint across the West End, Broadway and multiple international touring companies.
Its Australian return signals continued audience demand for modern musical formats that merge concert staging, contemporary pop songwriting and historical narrative reframing. The new production also introduces a fresh Australian cast, continuing the show’s tradition of platforming emerging and established performers in a highly visible, career-shaping format.
Six reframes the six wives of Henry VIII as competing pop artists, each performing autobiographical songs that reinterpret their lives through a modern lens. The Australian company will once again present Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anna of Cleves, Katherine Howard and Catherine Parr as solo performers in a staged pop competition format.
Sarah Murr will lead the production as Catherine of Aragon. Originally from Townsville and a Queensland Conservatorium graduate, Murr has appeared in major Australian musicals including Les Misérables, Hadestown and & Juliet, bringing significant stage experience and vocal strength to the role.
Mia Paris Scalise will make her professional debut as Anne Boleyn. A Victorian College of the Arts graduate, Scalise transitions from screen and modelling work into musical theatre with the production.
Cara Bessey takes on Jane Seymour, following roles in Mary Poppins and the Australian tour of Sister Act, while Kadesa Honeyhill plays Anna of Cleves after appearances in Mamma Mia! and TINA: The Tina Turner Musical.
Angela Brischetto will portray Katherine Howard, drawing on screen credits including Good Cop/Bad Cop and stage work in Disney’s Beauty and the Beast. Lorinda May Merrypor completes the lineup as Catherine Parr, following acclaimed performances in & Juliet, Beautiful: The Carole King Musical and The Sapphires.
Supporting the Queens are swings Lauren Goetz, Geena Hutton, Thalia Smith and Cristina D’Agostino, alongside a live band under Music Director Claire Healy. Rehearsals begin in June under Associate Director Sharon Millerchip.
Producer Louise Withers said the new cast represents “extraordinary talent, energy and individuality”, reinforcing the production’s focus on performer-driven storytelling within its established format.
Six sits at a distinct point in contemporary musical theatre history, emerging from a Cambridge University student project before becoming a West End and Broadway staple. Written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss, the show was developed in 2017 and rapidly transitioned from Edinburgh Fringe experimentation to international touring powerhouse.
Its structure, built around concert performance rather than traditional book musical staging, places it alongside a broader shift in theatre towards pop-forward composition and arena-style presentation. The use of handheld microphones, choreographed staging and band-led arrangements draws influence from live pop performance aesthetics rather than orchestral theatre tradition.
The show has become a consistent touring property across North America, Europe and Asia, while also generating multiple cast recordings and a strong digital fan ecosystem. Its longevity is supported by repeated reinventions of casts and touring companies rather than fixed production cycles, allowing the title to remain active across global markets simultaneously.
In Australia, Six first premiered at the Sydney Opera House in 2020 before subsequent national tours were disrupted by the COVID-19 pandemic. The return engagement from 2024 onward established its current production cycle, now extending into 2026 and 2027.
While SIX has achieved widespread commercial success and multiple industry awards, its reinterpretation of Tudor history has prompted ongoing academic discussion around historical accuracy. The show blends documented biography with modern characterisation, often amplifying personality traits and emotional narratives for theatrical effect.
Some historians have noted that certain depictions, particularly surrounding Katherine Howard and her personal experiences, rely on interpretive storytelling rather than definitive historical record. Others, including cultural commentators and educators, have acknowledged the musical’s role in introducing historical figures to younger audiences through accessible contemporary formats.
Audience response has remained strongly positive, particularly among younger demographics, where the show’s framing of female agency and narrative reclamation aligns with broader trends in modern musical theatre storytelling.
With its Australian return locked in across three major cities, SIX The Musical continues its global rotation as one of the most commercially resilient modern musicals. The 2026-2027 season positions the production as both a continuation of its international touring model and a refreshed creative iteration through a new Australian cast.
As rehearsals begin mid-year, the production’s next phase will again test its central proposition: that historical narrative can be successfully reimagined through the language of contemporary pop performance, and still sustain global theatrical demand nearly a decade after its inception.
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