The Queen’s Platinum Jubilee weekend prompted us to look at some of our favourite West End Queens, and why we find them so captivating – and it’s not just because of their beauty!
The Six Queens
It would be inappropriate not to begin our list with the Queens from Six! Aragon, Boleyn, Cleves, Howard, Parr, and Seymour share their stories about how life was not always sweet for the British Queens in this play.
Although Six is a fun and colorful story, it’s not afraid to demonstrate that even Queens did not escape gender inequality 400 years ago.
The Queen of Belleville from Cinderella
Certainly, there is nothing more petulant, vanity-driven, and demanding than the Queen in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s Cinderella. Her perfect kingdom’s rose bushes and her missing son seem to be equally distressing to her.
The amazing Rebecca Trehearn plays the role brilliantly, and her comedic timing makes you love her immediately! One of the most entertaining musical comedy numbers in the West End is ‘I Know You’ sung by the Queen of Belleville and Cinderella’s evil stepmother.
Elsa from Frozen
Frozen’s Elsa escapes to the mountains due to the stress of her responsibilities as a Queen and public persona. Her entire life of isolation has left her unprepared for the death of her parents or the responsibilities that she is expected to assume as queen after they die.
Elsa and Arendelle are ultimately saved when her sister reaches across this isolation and reaches out to her. Rather than searching for a king, she finds her strength from family and friends, which is awesome to see!
Nala from The Lion King
In the Pride Lands, Nala is the Queen due to her position as Simba’s wife. Typical of any lioness, her strength, fierceness, and loyalty make her stand out. It’s likely Simba would have spent a long time stuck in the jungle without her!
While adapting The Lion King for the stage, Julie Taymor decided to give Nala more development and make her a bigger part of the story by reworking her role which we’re a big fan of!