Swing set: Meet the women who can play any role in SIX at a moment’s notice

Posted on 9 May, 2022

Shannen Alyce Quan, Chiara Assetta and Karis Oka know every single line in the hit musical SIX, currently performing at Canberra Theatre Centre.

That’s not because they’re hardcore SIX fans—although lovers of the show have been known to follow the musical from city to city. It’s because they’re the SIX ‘Swings’, three actors who can play any of the six lead roles at a moment’s notice.

And in a post-COVID world, there are many such moments. In fact, since SIX began touring in December, Chiara has played every single role at least once across 35 shows. And anyone who has seen SIX—a bass thumping explosion of a pop musical whose six actors don’t stop singing, dancing and bantering for the show’s full 90-minutes—knows this is no mean feat.

“I basically could do a one-woman show of SIX,” laughs Chiara. “The other swings and I know every role. We could get a day’s notice, or we could be told 30 minutes before a show that someone has fallen ill, and that’s our job—to know all six queens in and out.”

But Chiara loves it—the thrill of not knowing when she might be asked to step into any of the six roles.

“I’m the type of person who absolutely thrives under pressure and with a challenge, so the idea of having to learn six roles was definitely something I was so excited to do—call me crazy, and I think some people would,” she laughs.

For those who have missed the (well-deserved) hype around SIX, the musical follows the six wives of the infamous Henry XIII as they unpack their experiences as his brides through the universal language of pop music. It’s been playing at Canberra Theatre Centre since 27 April and its heady blend of music and spiky humour has won hearts across the city.

Feature image: Shannen Alyce Quan, Chiara Assetta, Karis Oka. Credit: James D Morgan, Getty Images. Image supplied.

While Chiara has spent the most time on-stage as Catherine of Aragon, whose foot-tapping solo number ‘No Way’ kicks off the queen’s solos in style, she says it’s hard to pick a favourite role to play.

“It’s an interesting question because I find it changes a lot. It takes a little while to understand what each character means to you. At the start, Catherine of Aragon was definitely one of my favourites because I had the most time to discover her character on the stage,” she says, adding that she “did train in pop singing when I was younger, so I do really enjoy those up-tempo pop songs like Catherine of Aragon and Catherine Howard’s [numbers].”

To be ready to step in at a minute’s notice, Chiara and her fellow swings run through the show each night in a backstage mirror of the live performance, perfecting each song, line and dance move—when they’re not on stage, that is.

It’s been something of a wild ride for Chiara, who initially auditioned for a single lead role before being asked if she’d consider being a swing—and had to learn the other five roles overnight in order to audition. But she’s more than risen to the challenge.

“I love the idea of being on my toes and always doing something new—it’s so exciting.”

With commitment that strong, it’s no surprise that the atmosphere off-stage is as infectious as it is on-stage.

“The energy everywhere—whether you’re offstage, on-stage, in a dressing room—is electric. We’re such a close bunch and that really does resonate on the stage. We’re lucky to be surrounded by such great energy.”

“SIX is like a pop concert—it’s like no other musical. It’s cheeky, it’s funny, it makes you feel inspired and empowered, no matter who you are. SIX is one of those shows where you’re one hundred percent guaranteed to walk out of the show smiling.”

Feature image: Shannen Alyce Quan, Chiara Assetta, Karis Oka. Credit: James D Morgan, Getty Images. Image supplied.