Here & Now - a brand-new musical based on the songs of Steps - is now showing at The Wolverhampton Grand until Sunday 15 March, as it boot-scoots its way around the UK on a national tour. A camp riot of glittery joy, this juke-box whirlwind of Steps’ best loved musical numbers is a delight to behold. High energy choreography, toe-tapping classics performed by a live band and talented vocals combine, to create a disarmingly moving and exceedingly fun night out - it’s simply step-tacular!  

We lay our scene in a regional branch of Better Best Bargains supermarket in a sleepy seaside town where protagonist Caz (Lara Denning) and her trio of trusted friends Vel (Jacqui Dubois), Neeta (Rosie Singha) and Robbie (Blake Patrick Anderson) work. Fed up with a life on the sidelines, Caz pledges to live her ‘Summer of Love’, making her friends promise to do the same. Will they succeed, and ‘Stomp’ all summer long? Or will their dreams of happy, fulfilled lives end in ‘Tragedy’? 

Shaun Kitchener's script appears to be a labour of love, weaving the songs of Steps convincingly through the lives of our protagonists. The care and consideration with which this production has been made is also evidenced in its attention to detail. Matt Cole’s hyper-energetic choreography, in collaboration with Tom Rogers and Gabriella Slade’s design, mean that every possible aesthetic aspect of supermarket life is embedded in the story. Bar code scanners, Tinsel-clad tabards and dazzling high kicks create a world that is both spectacular and comforting, highlighting the magnificent in the mundane. 

The joy of the production is in this very fact: it is a proud celebration of the lives of ordinary people. Hilarious, heart-felt and authentic performances from a talented ensemble cut through the thumping disco beats, carrying real emotional weight. Lara Denning is profoundly sympathetic in the lead role, with similarly moving performances from Dubois, Singha and Anderson. Meanwhile River Meadway - in the role of the town's coolest drag artiste - delivers an incredible performance as a bag of frozen peas that needs to be seen to be believed.  

Veteran Steps fans and newcomers alike are sure to be delighted by this gem of a show. The larger-than-life emotion of their heart-rending ballads, epic love songs and boot-scooting rodeo bangers touches all aspects of the human condition - highly camp, sometimes moving and ultimately lots of fun.  

Five stars

Here & Now: The Steps Musical was reviewed on Tuesday 10 March by Todd Jennings at the Wolverhampton Grand Theatre, where it shows until Sunday 15 March.