Here & Now — The Steps Musical
Theatre Royal Brighton
The scene and the energy for Here & Now is set with the electrifying opening number. Following the lives and loves of a group of colleagues at a seaside supermarket ‘Better Best Bargains’, based on the songs of steps, nineties nostalgia is at the top of the list of what this show delivers. Growing up in the nineties myself I have fond memories of Year 7 in primary school when alongside many of my classmates I spent a large part of my break times perfecting the routine to 5,6,7,8. The show incorporated many elements of the original routines performed by the beloved band. Being set in a supermarket there are a few extras thrown in for good measures such as dancing on top of checkouts and a line of dancers with trolleys.
The ultimate message and backbone of the show is that good friends support one another to reach their goals and forgive them when they make a mistake. The cast convincingly portray bonds between colleagues who have worked together for several years and the close-knit culture of a staff team working in a retail setting. Without giving too much of the plot away it is important to note that one of the main elements of the storyline focuses heavily on baby loss. Whilst this is portrayed with great sensitivity and with some truly heart wrenching numbers performed beautifully by Caz (Lara Denning) if this is something which may impact you it is important to be aware of this prior to seeing the show.
A strong element of this show is the diversity of the characters and their varying ages and life stages; there is a great representation which makes it highly likely that most audience members will identify with one of their journeys. I loved the development of art student Neeta (Rosie Singha) throughout the show. Who enjoys creating sculptures out of a variety of objects based upon lovable celebrities. To see her come into her own and “Take a chance on a happy ending” is reminiscent of young love and the young audience that Steps attracted in the nineties.
The show contains all the main hits that the band was popular for, so this is a great show for any devoted fan of the group. My daughter accompanied me to the show and really enjoyed it despite not being familiar with Steps or their music beforehand so I would say that being familiar with the band is not a prerequisite of enjoying this show. If you like high energetic dance numbers and a feel-good musical, then I would recommend this show as an enjoyable night out for all the family.
If you were to miss your opportunity to see Here & Now whilst it’s on at the Theatre Royal Brighton, it would surely be a tragedy.
Here & Now is playing at the Theatre Royal Brighton until December 13, 2025.
Reviewer: Lisa Dawn
Photo: Pamela Raith