★★★★☆
“If you wanna see Shakespeare, you don’t wanna see this,” H told me when I interviewed Steps ahead of the world premiere of their jukebox musical, Here & Now. After watching the show last night, I can confirm that he is not wrong: Here & Now is just as camp, groovy and outlandish as one would expect a Steps musical to be. But it’s more than just escapism: it has heart, it champions representation and diversity, and it delves into topical issues, such as gentrification, adultery… and daddy issues.
The musical is set at a bargain supermarket. Yes, really. It’s utterly, shamelessly, ridiculous. Who sets a musical at a supermarket? Shaun Kitchener, that’s who! The book is witty, wacky and whimsical. It does not take itself seriously, though it handles serious issues with sensitivity, without becoming preachy or depressing. It’s a real balanced diet.
Here & Now skilfully uses the supermarket, a meeting place, as a microcosm for wider society, à la the sitcom Superstore. Here & Now feels like a musical sitcom, with its crazy, colourful characters, its laugh-out-loud, tongue-in-cheek humour, and its unrealistic yet utterly human storylines.
The musical follows Better Best Bargains employee Caz (the vivacious Rebecca Lock), who is elated that she and her husband, Gareth (Chris Grahamson), have been approved to adopt a child. Her friends, Vel (Jacqui Dubois), Neeta (Rosie Singha) and Robbie (Blake Patrick Anderson), are in awe at how her life is perfect, so – in lieu of a present for her upcoming 50th birthday – she challenges them to “take a chance on a happy ending” for themselves and have the Summer of Love they’ve been dreaming of. However, when Gareth tells Caz he is ending their marriage, meaning the adoption is ruined, her own ‘happy ending’ is in tatters and she must follow her own advice. When she puts her faith in the wrong person and jeopardises the entire store’s future, the friends’ ‘Summer of Love’ is at risk of becoming a ‘Tragedy’.
Other characters include the battle-axe store manager, Patricia (Finty Williams, Judi Dench’s daughter – talent runs in that family!); Neeta’s colleague and love interest, Ben (Ben Darcy); delivery driver Tracey (Lauren Woolf); a charming new customer, Max (Edward Baker-Duly); and Vel’s boyfriend, Lesley (John Stacey). It’s a strong cast made up of triple threats.
The distinct characters all have their own issues, from marital troubles and feeling trapped in relationships to being scared of rejection or scared of committing to a relationship. There are four queer characters, both male and female, with all of them having their own unique identities and not being defined by their queerness. It’s a refreshing take on queer characters; so often, there’s a token gay with no discernible characteristics beyond their sexuality. Here, there’s a sex-positive man, a man who does drag, a woman who recently realised she likes women, and a woman who is in the process of realising the same.
The production is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, who makes exceptional use of the space, with all of its moving parts. The stage can sometimes feel busy, but that suits the vibe of the show, with all of its intensity and drama (and being set in a supermarket!).
Matt Cole’s choreography is electric though it would have been nice to feature more of Steps’ original choreography. It was a shame not to have the iconic ‘5,6,7,8’ routine, especially with that being Steps’ debut single (and arguably their best-known song). He did, of course, keep some of the choreo for ‘Tragedy’ – it would have been a real tragedy if he’d discarded the iconic hands-on-the-head movement!
Tom Roger makes great use of pinks and blues in his cartoonish, futuristic set, with shelves surrounding the stage, each lined with perfectly placed products. It is not giving budget supermarket!
Gabriella Slade’s camp-tastic costumes are like a drag queen’s idea of what people who work at supermarkets and airports should wear – and honestly, they should wear that. Sam Cox’s wig and hair design, and Jackie Saundercock’s make up design, are similarly exciting, and you can tell that endless fun was had with River Medway’s dazzling drag lewks.
Howard Hudson’s lighting enhances the whimsical, fantastical quality of the show but also creates a concert-like atmosphere, which enhances the anthemic nature of the classic songs, which have been rearranged beautifully. Most of the songs work wonderfully sung by new people in a new context, with many of them being performed as conversations, thus furthering the plot. Other times, they are internal monologues. The story has clearly been built around the songs, with only a few of them feeling shamelessly shoehorned in – but it is aware of this. Kitchener had a hard job making songs such as ‘5,6,7,8’ fit but he makes it work – it’s ridiculous but he rolls with it.
The show ends with a gigantic megamix – this poor cast has no time to rest – and on press night, the cast were joined by Steps for the final number, ‘Stomp’. The crowd went absolutely wild.
Here & Now is a shamelessly self-aware, satirical, sitcom-esque love-letter to the songs of Steps. It does not take itself too seriously but skilfully and sincerely inserts serious issues into the saccharine story.
Here & Now runs at Opera House Manchester until September 13 2025 and tours the UK until May 16 2026.
Photo: Pamela Raith
JADAR 