An all singing all dancing new musical set in a supermarket using the songs of Steps – well, why not. The pop colours of the set, the aisles labelled “5, 6, 7, 8” and bright smiles all remind us of the pop band that was so hugely successful, and this musical is almost continuous songs from their catalogue of hits that help drive the show along. They followed in the tradition of Bananarama in the 1980s, coming with ready made dances for their fans to copy while singing along: and fans will be very happy that there is a place for them to join in, in this show’s medley finale.

The show itself concerns a group of four different friends, led by Caz, and their wish for a summer of love. Which gives rise to a plot which feels like an entire series of a soap condensed into one show. Heartbreak, challenges, makeups, breakups, disappointments and overcoming obstacles – all life’s high drama stakes, whisking the audience along with their emotional journeys. It’s incredibly funny as well, sometimes huge guffaw moments, and the performances enhance the humour in the script. This is a saccharin overload, huge jolly show of fun, which unusually features a woman over 45 in the lead role, so perhaps this is a positive indication of writers finally starting to recognise the value in having people on stage in lead roles who reflect a huge percentage of the audience watching.

Lara Denning is a powerhouse as the lead of the whole show, Caz: outwardly displaying maternal care and kindness for her friends while hiding secret vulnerability and fragility. She is 100 percent committed to this role and her believability is what gives the show its heart. It also helps that her voice is sublime, and she performs all her songs with such emotion that it’s almost heart wrenching in places. Contrasting her vocal power are the other women’s voices: the rich tones of Jacqui Dubois as Vel and the modern versatile tones of Rosie Singha as Neeta: they are all stunning voices, and there were many preferences expressed for each by audience members depending on their particular likes. The blending of them all is wonderful, and they all act their parts with believability, having cheers from the audience when they make the ‘right’ decision. All the actors are a joy to watch, as are the dancers: and there are plenty of warmly ridiculous dances with super choreography including with trolleys and even with toilet roll called “Tushi” to make you smile.

It’s doubtful even Steps themselves thought that they would still be making music almost 30 years after their debut, let alone that there would be a musical featuring their songs. Their brand of ‘manufactured’ music is sometimes looked down upon, as was the ‘hit factory’ of the 1980s. However, nobody can argue with their longevity, the fact that they are still one of the ‘go to’ bands for songs at parties and weddings. There seems to be a guilty pleasure in admitting to liking Steps: many of the audience were recognising friends and being surprised to see them. But here is an unashamed love letter to Bubble Gum Pop: it’s fun, vibrant, and it’s a super feel-good show. Which sometimes is exactly what you need.

Theatre Royal Brighton, 2 December 2025
Here And Now runs until 13 December 2025
Photos credit: Pamela Raith