Welcome to Noble Blood, a production of I Heart Radio and Grimm & Mild from Aaron Manky.

Listener discretion is advised.

In 2017, two students at Cambridge University wrote a musical about the six wives of Henry VIII.

The show began with performances at Edinburgh Fringe and from there it went from something

of an underground cult phenomenon to bonafide global hit within just a few years and that's

accounting for the covid shutdown that hit on what was supposed to be their opening night

on Broadway.

The musical 6 is staged almost like a pop concert in which the six wives of Henry VIII, Catherine

of Erdogan and Bolin, Jane Seymour, Catherine Howard and Catherine Par, Don Mini Skirts,

Bustieres, Hills and Boots and belt out individual solos inspired by divas like Beyonce and Nicki

Minaj.

It's a loose interpretation of history.

After all, the Queen's in real life might have had lovely singing voices, but I doubt

that they could belt or dance like the actors on Broadway and the West End.

But the historical spirit of each of the numbers is accurate.

They're subjective but valid interpretations of the histories of the doomed Queen's that

center their agency and their own experiences.

The show is especially exciting to me because I think that any time conversations about

Tudor history take the mainstream spotlight, it gets people excited about delving into

the actual history.

After all, people are able to enjoy infectious catchy songs while at the same time, understanding

that the real Anne of Cleaves never wore fishnets.

...