Brighton Theatre Royal Review: Here & Now - The Steps Musical
Summary
Rating: ★★★★
Duration: 2h27 incl. interval
Running Dates: 2nd - 13th December 2025
Where to see it: Brighton Theatre Royal
Review
Nineties pop sensation and 2023 Brighton Pride headliners, Steps, are making their mark on the city yet again with their brand new musical Here & Now, playing at Brighton’s Theatre Royal until 13th December.
Photography by Pamela Raith
The musical, directed by the award-winning Rachel Kavanaugh (The Great British Bake Off Musical), is based on Shaun Kitchener’s book that uses the songs of the multi-million-selling pop phenomenon to create the storyline of a group of supermarket workers finding their happy endings.
Step’s iconic pink and blue theme was present throughout, as were the 90s and early 00s wardrobe staples that Steps were known for in the height of their fame – with a splash of neon for extra fun. Even the ensemble and on-stage swing cast members sported alien-like glasses and funky vivid clothing, giving a space- like feel to the numbers.
The whole show was a great example of progressive theatre: the queer representation, the range of ages, body shapes and sizes, and diverse casting.
Photography by Pamela Raith
It was a camp sensation – perfect for Hairspray and Waitress fans; from the outfits, to the colours, to the choreography.
The main singers were fantastic. The musical centred around Caz (Lara Denning) and Neeta (Rosie Singha), whose vocals often outshone other members and felt more distinctive.
A highlight for me was when Jem (River Medway, Ru Paul’s Drag Race UK) makes a statement about his drag stage name being Amanda Smooch, before dragging Robbie (Blake Patrick Anderson), off stage stating he “had a man to smooch”. The play on words solidified the comedic flair of the musical.
The somewhat villainous character Max (Edward Baker-Duly) gave me parallels to Hugh Grant, inside and out as he played his part so well. As much as you want to hate him you still love him. There was a familiar charm to his devious smile.
The musical is set at a grocery store and the cast use props such as till conveyers, trolleys, baskets, and more within dance breaks and scene changes.
Some of the bigger musical scenes leaned into the supermarket setting. The washing machine scene was one of my favourites in which washing machines bedazzled with disco balls as the drums were used as a dance platform.
Photography by Pamela Raith
Another was the ice scene, which featured enthralling and energetic choreography, where Jem led a drag-based performance emerging from a freezer in a blue and white metallic jumpsuit, and blue sparkly heels. The male backup dancers followed suit in blue and white playsuits.
The storyline tied all of the Steps songs in nicely with unexpected plot-twists and a surprisingly comedic tone. It was somewhat interactive at times and overall felt like a ride for the senses.
The musical ended with a standing ovation as the cast bowed before the audience. It was followed by a speedrun of classic Steps songs for an audience sing-and-dance-along, showered by pink and blue confetti that was shot into the air.
Reviewed by Isabel Mescaros