The View From Lower Down

 In my review of Six, I claimed that Six had a near identical plot to Cats . This was only a joke, but since then I have discovered an academic paper citing the same hypothesis. I have included the body of the work below: “From Jellicles to Queens: A Comparative Analysis of Cats and Six as Non-Linear Musical Pageants” by Dr. F. A. Catchelor of Musical Sociology, Lower Down Institute for Theatrical Overthinking Abstract: This paper explores the striking structural and thematic similarities between Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cats (1981) and Toby Marlow & Lucy Moss’s Six (2017), two musicals with wildly different aesthetics, but eerily parallel narrative devices. Both productions utilize a non-linear, presentational format; feature characters who take turns performing autobiographical numbers; and culminate in a sort-of competition to be chosen—either for ascension to the Heaviside Layer or for emotional redemption via collective empowerment. The findings suggest that Six may, ...

Italicised text in this review is written by AI. Some of it has been removed for clarity; nothing was added except what is not italicised. When I was writing my review of Six: The Movie , I wondered how ChatGPT would write a review using my style, prompt: Please* write a review of Six the musical in the style of the blog The View From Lower Down *Always be polite to ChatGPT. This is why I didn't think it quite mastered my voice, but I did particularly enjoy this comment: Wheelchair access at the venue was decent, though I’d recommend checking seat plans ahead—some of those “accessible” areas feel about as welcoming as a medieval dungeon.  However, I quickly ended up down a rabbit hole of what it thinks I have to say. One of the things I asked was about a description of myself in the first person, which was way funnier that the one I actually wrote : Hello! I’m a culture-loving wheelchair user with a penchant for musicals, mystery plots, and mild sarcasm. This blog is where I park ...

I recently saw the movie version of Six the Musical . I've spoken about Six before on the blog , but no one who doesn't know me in real life could tell from the blog how obsessed I am with the musical. Sorry to those who do know me in real life who are wildly aware. There being four of them makes sense in context. You won't learn what the context is here Now, for a long time, I've wanted a Six movie not to exist. This might seem a little confusing, so let me clarify for those of you unfamiliar with the plot: The six wives of Henry VIII have gathered together to form a band, but they cannot decide who should lead the band. Therefore, they all tell their stories and the one who had the worst life wins the competition. Also, all the queens are modelled after female singers If that plot sounds familiar to you, it's because it's the same plot as Cats , albeit with a different ending: Once a year, the Jellicle Cats meet together at the Jellicle Ball. They all introduc...