Earlier this week we saw another show on our quest to see as many shows as possible before we lose easy access to the West End. This show was Six, a musical concert/show about the six wives of Henry VIII. To be honest, I didn’t know anything about it other than the basic concept before we arrived. And as Tim says, “sometimes it’s better that way.” So I didn’t look it up either.

Sitting in our seats before the show we were lulled by Tudor era music that sounded surprisingly familiar. I never was able to figure out which modern songs they redid but it was amusing nonetheless.

The show isn’t so much of a play but a concert put on by the six wives. They have joined us from beyond the grave to tell us of their tragic lives and, as so many of us tend to do, compare themselves.

If you’ve been following me for a while you know that I am very open about my struggles with my mental health. A big part of this is a low self esteem and through therapy I’ve learned a lot of my issues come with comparing myself to others. With the advent of social media it’s become almost second nature to see photos of people and start comparing our lives to what we PERCEIVE theirs to be. The truth is, no one’s life is that perfect. But we compare nonetheless. It’s hard for me to not compare myself to someone who’s smarter, thinner, prettier, richer, more athletic, the list goes on. There’s always someone who you think is better than you.

This is one of my biggest struggles and even though I limit my time on social media, short of closing off all contact with the outside world including watching tv, I think it would be impossible to completely stop comparing myself to others. But I’m trying!

And that’s why I’m writing about this today. Because the message in Six was overwhelmingly that of girl power (historical spice girls anyone?) and lifting up other women instead of competing against them. I was expecting to enjoy some history based music when we attended the show. What I wasn’t expecting was to feel so empowered and uplifted by the end.

The songs are catchy and the message an important one. So I’d absolutely encourage you to go spend an evening with the ladies of Six. You’ll come out of it changed for the better. (And if you can’t hit up the west end, you can always check out the music on Spotify. It really is quite catchy).

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