Review | Here & Now | Manchester Opera House | 04 September 2025
- Jonathan Rawlinson
- Sep 5
- 2 min read
After debuting last year at The Alexandra in Birmingham to critical acclaim, Here & Now is embarking on an ambitious UK tour. Set to the music of the ultimate 90’s guilty pleasure, Steps, Here & Now is the latest in a stream of jukebox musicals to hit UK theatres in recent years.
Steps themselves have long expressed a desire to see their music reimagined on the stage, waiting until the right story could be found. Finally, they found this in Shaun Kitchener’s hilarious script. Centred around four best friends working in budget supermarket Better Best Bargains during a ‘Summer of Love’, it may sound ridiculous, and quite honestly it is... but in the most fabulous way possible! Here & Now knows exactly what it is and revels in its camp excesses. Delivering everything it says on the tin, it never loses its undeniable warmth and wit.
Rebecca Lock leads the cast faultlessly as Caz, reprising the role from the original Birmingham run. She more than rises to the challenge with her powerhouse vocals channelling the spirit of Steps’ Claire Richards, while offering a more theatrical edge that elevates the famous songs to a whole new level.
As Caz’s friends and co-workers, Jacqui Dubois (Vel), Rosie Singha (Neeta), and Blake Patrick Anderson (Robbie) all bring something unique with their own respective subplots playing out. These multiple narratives from such different personalities will no doubt help audiences see themselves represented on stage, which will no doubt add to the lasting appeal of this show. The ever-wonderful Finty Williams is utterly hilarious as supermarket manager Patricia. Williams’ Patricia is a character audiences will absolutely love to hate, injecting just the right amount of menace and high camp to endear you to her despite her flaws.
Olivier Award-winning choreographer Matt Cole delivers choreography that is equally fresh whilst remaining nostalgic. While longtime fans will catch affectionate nods to Steps’ signature moves, these remain as nods rather than replicate the famous moves explicitly. The energetic ensemble brings the choreography to life brilliantly, bursting with so much enthusiasm and charisma that it is almost exhausting to watch them. The nostalgia doesn’t stop there, with Tom Rogers’ vibrant set design being packed with playful Easter eggs for Steps fans to discover. Paired with Howard Hudson’s bold, colourful lighting, the production leans into its camp, giving the audience exactly what they came for.
What sets Here & Now apart from many jukebox musicals is the way the music integrates with the narrative. With a few forgivable exceptions, the songs slot so seamlessly into the story that it almost feels like they have been written for it at times. From tender moments such as Lock’s beautifully heartbreaking rendition of Heartbeat to the most wonderfully over-the-top inclusion of Chain Reaction, the music works brilliantly. This in itself helps the show have wider appeal than just Steps fans, and it is impossible not to have fun watching it.
Here & Now is on at Manchester Opera House until Saturday, 13 September 2025.
Note: My ticket was gifted. Irrespective of whether a ticket is gifted or bought, I always ensure that my reviews are fair and based on my honest opinion alone.
