As the Australian associate costume designer for Six - the pop musical about the wives of Henry VIII - Nigel Shaw is somewhat of an expert. Acting as the Australian eyes and ears for the musical's UK-based costume designer Gabriella Slade, Shaw knows every detail of the queens' costumes.

The idea is to get consistency between the international productions. Catherine of Aragon's costume, for example, should be the same as that on Broadway and the West End. The same Beyoncé-esque crown, the same heavy gold chain necklace and the same shoulder detail on the yellow and black dress.

In the world of social media - and particularly with a production that encourages audience members to film the last number - a Six production must look like a Six production. But, as some fans may have noticed, there are some slight differences to the Australian costumes. That same Catherine of Aragon costume now has a different pattern on the bodice and skirt.

"It got modernised a bit for an Australian audience, which was great, because then until Broadway opened we had the most up-to-date version," Shaw says.

"Things just got tweaked - a lot more stones were added, materials were changed, or they got a little bit of an extra add on."

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Material wise, Slade opted to use plastics, studs and stones instead, reflecting the modern materials of a pop queen. The boots meanwhile are all custom creations from LaDuca - a dance shoe company that has been worn on stage by the likes of Beyonce, Taylor Swift and Katy Perry, as well as in other well-known theatre productions. Each has 1000 stones on the heal alone and is individual to each queen.

But the costumes themselves are a great representation of the musical's overall brief. Just like Six is a Tudor tale, told in the fashion of a pop concert, the costumes have also incorporated historical elements. You can see references to the timberwork that defines Tudor architecture, as well as armour and structured shoulder designs that would have been men of the era.

"They all have their elements that you when you see them you got I like that because of these individual elements," Shaw says.

Every costume - even those worn by the swings who fill in when an actor is sick - is individual and heavily detailed. So much so that some of it can be missed when up on stage. But, as Shaw says, without these details, the costumes would come off as plain.

Even the heavy boning - which gives the outfits enough structure to allow them to stand up unaided - isn't visible from the stage. But what the audience can see is the empowering effect the costumes have on the actors.

"They're these magnificent pieces of art," says Loren Hunter, who plays third queen Jane Seymour.

"They are incredible and I'm speaking personally, but they make me feel extremely regal and very much like a queen."

Six is at Canberra Theatre until May 15. For tickets go to canberratheatrecentre.com.au.

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