Review: Here & Now - The Steps Musical

5, 6, 7, 8!

No, I'm not going to go into a dance break, but I couldn't resist. It seemed the only way to open a review of Here & Now - The Steps Musical. What a way to kick off Autumn right?

Here & Now premiered at the Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham last Autumn, and has since been on its tour across the country. This week, it stops in Manchester's Opera House, ready to bring all the nostalgia to millennials like me who grew up with the tunes of Steps (even though, I admit, I was much more an S Club 7 girl than Steps). Rather than be about the band itself however, Here & Now takes the Mamma Mia and & Juliet route, using the songs to tell an original story. 

Said story is grouped around four friends who all work at the same seaside bargain store, Better Best Bargains (you see the pun here?). The foursome make a pact that in two weeks, in time for Caz' 50th birthday, that they sort out their love lives and have the best summer ever - and it doesn't work out the way they expected. 

Though, there are of course, the big Steps numbers you expect, such as Tragedy, Deeper Shade of Blue, Chain Reaction, and Better Best Forgotten, there are also some of Steps' more recent hits such as Scared of the Dark. I was surprised that there were some songs I didn't recognise, and how well the majority of them fitted into the story. Some of them took on a whole new meaning to the number, seeing it in a different light, Heartbeat being the most prominent example for even the band themselves. 

Not all of the song choices work though. The biggest drawback, to get it out of the way, is that, there is one song too many. I don't think I have ever used that as a criticism before, but there was definitely a moment or two in which the book should have been able to shine, rather than plonking another song from the catalogue in there. The other reason I mention it, is because it was quite a long run time approaching half 10 by the time we left the theatre (including interval). 

These songs take you back to the 90s, in more ways than one. In fact, they brought you to the Haçienda's cheese night!

This was not because of any songs being remixed (thank goodness), but because Here & Now can be a bit of an LSD trip! No spoilers to which moments in the show it applies to, but there are moments which are so out there and so over the top and flashy camp, that it does make you wonder what the hell you are watching. 

Yes, it's not a super serious piece, it is a musical that uses the music of Steps for goodness sake, but it's still perfectly reasonable to question it for a millisecond. But don't question it so much that you don't enjoy the ride because even with all that, is still incredibly fun and joyful. 

The real triumph of Here & Now is the central four characters: Vel, Neeta, Robbie and Caz

Played respectively by Jacqui DuBois, Rosie Singha, Blake Patrick Anderson (RENT), and the belting machine (or should it be conveyor belt... no?) Rebecca Lock (Curtains). There seems to be nothing that this lady cannot do, her voice soaring to the back of the theatre, with just as much as power as Claire Richards, if not more so. One For The Sorrow, Caz' big number was possibly the biggest cheer of the night, even above all the insanity. 

Each of the foursome had their moment or two to shine, but they were best together, as it is their chemistry that shines among this cast. You really do believe that they're all friends, not just colleagues despite Neeta and Robbie being young enough to be Caz or Vel's children. 

In the supporting cast, there are a few pitching issues going on, but I must also mention Finty Williams as the nightmare boss Patricia, and River Medway (who wowed the Lowry for the return of Unfortunate last year) as the drag star Jem. They have an explosive moment near the end of Act 2, in which they get to truly prove why they were chosen by RuPaul to compete in Drag Race. 

If you are looking for something fun that doesn't take itself seriously, Here & Now is a great choice

It is also best enjoyed with a friend (or in my case six), who can get you dancing the minute you start hearing Steps tunes inside the theatre. I'm pretty sure they were playing Steps in the bar over the road as well, so we got a double whammy! I digress. The point is, if you are a Steps fan, or want a story that is going to give you a good time and gets you dancing, then book your tickets. 

Oh and I will also say that, the ending medley is something else - Six' MegaSIX eat your heart out!

If you are on the fence about Here & Now, though it may not provide any context, have a look to the clip that caught my attention, as well as likely many others: their performance on Big Night of Musicals earlier this year. Any excuse to hear Rebecca Lock belt out Tragedy eh?