Here and Now: A Brand New Musical burst into the Opera House in Manchester this week, bringing all things Steps to the stage. I’ll admit, I went in with low expectations, anticipating another by the numbers jukebox musical. But I couldn’t have been more wrong. This show is bursting with heart, powered by a sharp creative team and a cast of actors with powerhouse vocals.
The story follows a group of shop workers at the local Better Best Bargains. In many jukebox musicals, songs can feel awkwardly shoehorned in, but here the Steps hits are woven seamlessly into the narrative. Each of our four leads — Caz, Vel, Neeta and Robbie — has a chance to shine with big individual moments, and you find yourself cheering them on from the very start. If you want to find out if they get their summer of love or whether it’s a tragedy you’ll have to watch the show to find out.
The pacing is spot on, it never drags, and by the time the interval rolls around, you’re already completely hooked. It’s one of those rare shows where you feel a genuine chain reaction with the audience, everyone buzzing together.
Speaking of drag we’ve got River Medway as Jen bringing more sparkle to the proceedings. Medway brings warmth as the potential boyfriend to Robbie. You’ve also got Finty Williams as Patricia, the snarky boss we’ve all known in real life, but as the story unfolds a more vulnerable, relatable side emerges.
What follows is a glittery, camp extravaganza that perfectly captures the spirit of Steps while standing proudly on its own as a piece of theatre. By the finale, the entire audience was on their feet, dancing and singing along to those irresistible anthems. And just when you thought the night couldn’t get any better, Steps themselves appeared and joined the cast on stage sending the crowd into absolute hysteria and making the evening feel like a once-in-a-lifetime celebration.
By Dan
For Canal Street Media