When they formed in 1997, Steps became a national sensation. Touring all over the world and releasing incredible hits such as, ‘Tragedy’ and ‘5 6 7 8’, Steps are a significant feature of the music world.
From their stardom, a wonderful new treat was created – Here & Now, the Steps musical! The brand-new musical has quickly become a memorable hit for many theatregoers!
Taking place at a giant, bargain superstore, a group of four best friends must find their way through love and heartbreak, whilst saving their beloved store from being turned into luxury condos!
With Rachel Kavanaugh as director and Lara Denning as leading lady, ‘Caz’, this performance was a spectacular feel-good! Denning’s vocals to each of the Steps tracks was a welcome surprise. Her ability to hit high notes and belt with such power is an example of an impressive natural talent.
My applause goes out to the fantastic crew behind the scenes. The stage set was amazing, with bright neon pinks and blues and the glowing supermarket brand name – Better Best Bargains – sitting above the action truly transported us to a whole new world – the world of the BBB superstore! With the same energy and sparkle that Steps themselves had!
The talents of Rosie Singha as ‘Neeta’, Jacqui Dubois as ‘Vel’ and Blake Patrick Anderson as ‘Robbie’, really took the cake! Their extraordinary stage presence and vocal abilities left the entire audience in awe. Moving across the stage in their dazzling shop uniforms, their energy made the musical exactly what it aims to be – bright, fun and feel-good!
The costuming department was not to go unnoticed either. To put together such brilliant eye-catching costumes out of mundane shop assistant uniforms is a skill that deserves a huge amount of praise. Gabriella Slade’s designs were a fabulous feast for the eyes and wonderfully reflected the personalities of each individual character, It will be good to see more of her work on stage!
River Medway’s performance as ‘Jem’ was the cherry on top of an already fabulous show. His character’s wit and confident personality was perfect for him as a performer and allowed him to fully shine on stage along with the rest of the cast. His surprising vocals were a welcome addition to the show and a surprise for many in the audience.
The musical itself was a glorious hit! Featuring a boatload of cheesy jokes, witty characters and incredible dance skills – the cast and crew that put this together were clearly a beloved team! The nine-piece ensemble used their triple-threat skills of movement, vocals, and acting to enhance the immersive environment of every moment. No musical would be complete without an ensemble and It’s important we praise them as much as the main cast for their hard work. A musical as upbeat and driven as the Steps musical (where every scene contained a well-loved Steps tune) belies the hard work that goes into such a show.
‘Here & Now’ is a memorable musical that I have no doubt is doing extremely well on the remainder of its tour! Creating an entirely new show based on the music of the iconic Steps, will have been no easy feat, and the entire cast and crew should be proud of the result.
Main image: Sally Ann Matthews as Patricia and Lara Denning as Caz. Photograph by Danny Kaan.
Photography by Pamela Raith unless otherwise captioned.
