Last night saw the gala evening to welcome the new Steps musical, Here and Now, to Brighton’s Theatre Royal, and we couldn’t have had more fun if we’d tried!
Set in the Better Best Bargains Supermarket, the glorious bubblegum set dominated the stage, clearly a huge place as we were only seeing aisles 5, 6, 7 and 8 (of course). As soon as the cast burst onto the stage, our feet were tapping and a smile was on everyone’s face. Amongst the many workers, a group of best friends emerged, each making a pact to ensure they enjoyed a summer of love. The story goes on to show how they defeat adversity, use their friendships to triumph and find their own fulfilment. Cleverly woven through the whole piece is a classic Steps line – ‘Take a chance on a happy ending’. Without wanting to spoil anything, we were delighted when they did.
This slick production featured 21 hits from Steps, a band often overlooked, but with an impressive 22 million record sales under their belt. These are wonderfully crafted songs, and it was a pleasure to hear them all again and realise just how much variety the catalogue contains. Starting with their roots in the line-dancing craze, we also saw their Abbaesque numbers and their more disco-oriented hits. It was amazing just how many words and melodies we recalled, and whilst there is nostalgia to enjoy, the songs took on new nuances and meaning through the context of the show.
The first mention needs to go to the ensemble cast. They filled every part of the stage with incredibly complex choreography bursting with energy. Every member of the troop was on point, taking on a variety of roles and really putting in the effort. This resulted in some amazing group numbers, which for us were the highlight of the show. The Halfprice Hoedown had them stomping along to ‘5, 6, 7, 8’ with gusto and the airport scene showed off their range with an extremely funny portrayal of cabin crew which completely won us over. Throughout the night, they shone and were an integral part of the show.
The show is led by Lara Denning (Caz), who is an impressive actor. She can certainly belt out the songs, adding in powerful counter melodies that put her at the centre of the action, but it was when she held the stage alone and delivered solos that she really came to the fore. Her rendition of ‘Heartbreak’ in the first half was particularly moving, allowing her to act through the song. The character demands a great deal of warmth, which she delivered, and we were definitely on her side throughout.
Denning is backed up by her three friends, and together they made up a strong cast. Jacqui Debois (Vel) was able to move from disco diva to a vulnerable woman and had real passion in her voice. Rosie Singha (Neeta) had a toneful voice that can really carry a tune, and Blake Patrick Anderson (Robbie) provided a playful character who also had great control of his songs. Also important to mention are River Medway (Jem), a drag queen who has featured on Ru Paul’s Drag Race who held the stage and was clearly an audience favourite, and Finty Williams (Patricia), whose physical comedy was great to watch, particularly when she told us how she likes to smell cakes when she is stressed. Ridiculous and wonderful.
The show crescendos to an end where all the characters get a resolution, finishing with a megamix performance of the songs, which had everybody on their feet. We were grinning from ear to ear by the end of the night and went home with the intention of digging out the Steps’ greatest hits CD and playing all the songs again. This is a show that everyone can enjoy, regardless of what decade you grew up in or which songs you can remember. The exuberance of the cast, the cleverly scripted narrative and the quality of the singing really see it through. This made us laugh and hope that everyone who gets a chance to see it takes away some of the positivity on stage. Highly recommended.
Performance Dates
Here and Now plays at the Theatre Royal, New Road, Brighton on these dates:
Wednesday 3rd December – 7.30 pm
Thursday 4th December – 2.30 and 7.30 pm
Friday 5th December – 7.30 pm
Saturday 6th December – 2.30 and 7.30 pm
Sunday 7th December – 7.30 pm
Tuesday 9th December – 7.30 pm
Wednesday 10th December – 7.30 pm
Thursday 11th December – 2.30 and 7.30 pm
Friday 12th December – 7.30 pm
Saturday 13th December – 2.30 and 7.30 pm
Tickets are available from the Theatre Royal, Brighton
Set List
Act 1
Better Best Forgotten (Prologue)
Stomp
Summer Of Love
After The Love Has Gone
Last Thing On My Mind
Neon Blue
5, 6, 7, 8
Say You’ll Be Mine
Heartbeat
Love’s Got A Hold On My Heart
Scared Of The Dark
What The Future Holds
Act 2
Tragedy
Deeper Shade Of Blue
Something In Your Eyes
One For Sorrow
Better The Devil You Know
Story Of A Heart
Chain Reaction
It’s The Way You Make Me Feel
Better Best Forgotten
Paradise Lost/Summer Of Love
Here And Now
Better Best Forgotten (Reprise)
Finale Megamix
