Here & Now – The Alexandra, Birmingham and Touring

Pictures: Pamela Raith

Here & Now was reviewed at The Alexandra, Birmingham where it continues until 30 November 2024. A UK tour will begin at the Waterside Theatre, Aylesbury in August 2025, running into 2026.

Star rating: four stars ★ ★ ★ ★ ✩

The 1990s supergroup Steps have one of the strongest back catalogues in pop music, with a glittering career spanning over a quarter a century and the acclaim of being the UK’s most successful mixed-sex pop group of all time. With their string of earworm hits that often hinted at heavier themes of loss and heartbreak, they were known as the ABBA of the ’90s, so it’s no real surprise that their own jukebox stage show has now arrived in the shape of Here & Now. Very much Mamma Mia! for the next generation, the new British musical has premiered this month at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre, taking us back through Steps’ list of hits and encouraging audiences to start counting ‘5,6,7,8’ all over again.

In a seaside town, we’re introduced to the employees of Better Best Bargains, a discount grocery store, and our heroine Caz (played by Rebecca Lock). On the brink of adopting with her husband Gareth (Gary Milner), she’s heartbroken at his revelation that he no longer wants that commitment. Caz is left to pick up the pieces of her life, relying on co-workers Vel (Sharlene Hector), Robbie (Blake Patrick Anderson) and Neeta (Hiba Elchikhe), while trying not to ruffle the feathers of her boss Patricia (Finty Williams). When Caz bumps into charming stranger Max (Edward Baker-Duly), he seems to have the answers to all of her prayers, but ulterior motives arise and the staff of Better Best Bargains are caught between their longing to “take a chance on a happy ending”, or circumstances more akin to “tragedy”.

Sharlene Hector, Blake Patrick Anderson, Rebecca Lock and Hiba Elchikhe in Here & Now at The Alexandra, Birmingham

The Mamma Mia! formula is obviously a tried-and-tested money spinner, and while comparisons to that show are inevitable, Here & Now stands on its own two feet in the ever-increasing jukebox musical arena and has a lot going for it. Plot and character are never at the forefront of these types of shows, and arguably they’re the elements that audiences care the least about, but Here & Now gives us likeable and relatable characters with enough personality to make us care about what happens to them. A genuinely funny script helps, along with a decent amount of thought that’s been put into how the songs fit into the narrative. It might not quite match the cleverness of & Juliet in this, but it’s significantly better than the recent I Should Be So Lucky and Now That’s What I Call a Musical, where the shoehorning became painful. Here it feels more organic, perhaps more whimsical than clever, but playful with a knowing wink, and brings a huge amount of fun.

Shaun Kitchener’s book is witty and warm with some genuinely brilliant lines, and enough heart to outweigh the camp silliness, which is brought to life with energy by Rachel Kavanaugh’s direction which veers into some surreal moments but pulls them off (namely a price reduction hoedown set to ‘5,6,7,8’ and a dream sequence of human washing machines fronted by Drag Race’s River Medway strutting her stuff to ‘Chain Reaction’); the show never takes itself too seriously which is largely why it works, revelling in its ethos of pure joy.

While overall it’s pretty much as deep as a puddle, it’s certainly fun splashing around in it. The same sense of lively energy doesn’t always translate to the choreography however (Matt Cole), which feels unremarkable and doesn’t really make a lasting impression, an ironic result given how famous Steps are for their dance routines. Similarly musically, the show feels at times underpowered, and while the ballad arrangements (Matt Spencer-Smith) are beautiful, some of the punchy bangers don’t feel anywhere near as euphoric as they should, with ‘Better the Devil You Know’ being particularly underserved.

When casting was announced for Here & Now, the MT community was thrilled, as some of our strongest stage performers have been assembled here, and they absolutely deliver some brilliant work. Blake Patrick Anderson and Hiba Elchikhe show what stars they deserve to be, bringing humour and vulnerability to Robbie and Neeta respectively, along with fantastic voices. Sharlene Hector adds a sassy soulful edge to her world-worn Vel, and again gets to deliver some big notes in a big way. Finty Williams and Helen Colby are the show’s comic relief, and both excel with their timing and delivery, with Colby in particular making a small role feel a much larger one and stealing every scene she’s in. But this show belongs to one woman, the incomparable Rebecca Lock. Musical theatre fans will already be aware of Lock’s talents, but now a whole new audience gets to see her shine. Bringing heart and spark to her portrayal of Caz while making Steps’ deceptively-difficult songs seem a breeze to sing, Lock is outstanding, and Here & Now is a wonderful showcase of her astonishing talents.

An example of how to do jukebox musicals the right way, Here & Now is one of the most fun nights out you can have right now. So much better than it logically has any right to be, this is a show that drew initial snarks at its announcement, which have now been replaced by belly laughs and a damn good time. Picky critics will want more of a story, and there’s certainly room to tighten up and flesh the narrative out, but the ‘Steptacular’ sense of fun and clever weaving of Steps’ undeniably great songs make Here & Now a great new addition to the jukebox scene. See it in Birmingham with these performers while you can, and support it when it hits the road on tour next year.

Rob Bartley