A smash hit musical, written by a pair of Cambridge alumni, triumphed to receive eight Tony Award nominations last Monday (09/05). 

SIX, a musical in the form of a pop concert which tells the life stories of Henry VIII’s wives was written by Toby Marlow and Lucy Moss while they studied at the University of Cambridge. 

The show began as a “fun summer project”, and was first performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival, in 2017. It later made its way to  the West End and then Broadway.

SIX was nominated for eight Tony awards, including Best Musical and Best Original Score for Marlow and Moss, and Best Direction of a Musical for Moss. The West End production was previously nominated for five Olivier Awards in 2019, including Best New Musical.

Marlow studied English at Robinson College and met Moss, who studied History at Gonville and Caius College, on the Cambridge theatre circuit. Both were active in writing, directing, composing and choreography at the ADC Theatre. When SIX made its debut in New York, Moss became the youngest ever female director of a Broadway musical.

In a joint statement reacting to the nominations, they said: “Gosh this is so wild. We created SIX as a fun summer project for us and our friends in 2017, thinking that, come the autumn, we’d be moving on with our lives and becoming lawyers or accountants or something. So for that show to be nominated for a LITERAL Tony Award is just beyond.”

Marlow and Moss continued: “It’s a truly amazing, baffling honour to even be considered in the same category as these wonderful pieces. We are so humbled, grateful, and handsome.” 

Moss will direct a new production of Legally Blonde: The Musical in Regent’s Park this summer. In the 2022/23 season, SIX will tour the UK and Ireland, Australia and New Zealand, and North America. 

The 75th Tony Awards Ceremony will take place at 01:00 BST on Monday 13th June.