Here and Now - The Steps Musical, has a hold of my heart, and I’m still buzzing from the dopamine hit.

I entered The Alex a Steps sceptic and emerged a believer - and whether you’re a “Stepper” or not, it would be a tragedy to miss this uplifting show full of neon coloured fun.

The show is a jukebox musical directed by Rachel Kavanaugh and written by Shaun Kitchener, and is based on the hits from the legendary group.

It’s produced by Steps themselves, ROYO and iconic pop producer Pete Waterman and is set in the fictional seaside supermarket “Better Best Bargains”.

The show captures a tale about four friends looking to make changes in their lives, with Steps songs providing a soundtrack on their individual paths to a happy ending.

Cue a series of insane, high-octane and highly entertaining set-pieces including a “half price” hoe-down,  a drag queen led dance off atop brightly lit washing machines, and an ingenious use of trolleys and scanners.

It’s fair to say you’ll never see a supermarket in the same way again- and I’d definitely rather shop there than Lidl!

Kudos to the creatives on this show who have clearly had a huge amount of fun designing the sets, costumes and choreography, and the hard-working cast are loving it.

This is reflected in their connection with the audience, who are so hugely invested in the storyline and characters that there is much cheering, jeering and encouragement throughout, creating an electric atmosphere.

The script is brilliant. It’s camp, silly, tongue in cheek, and simply hilarious.

No surprise then that it finished in a well deserved standing ovation, followed by an eight minute long Steps megamix which had the crowd really stomping.

On this special gala evening, the legendary Steps themselves even took to the stage for the finale, revelling in the moment in showers of confetti. And so they should.

Now 5,6,7,8 - go and get a ticket! 

Five stars

Here and Now was reviewed by Fiona McCartney at The Alexandra Theatre on Tuesday 19 November, where it continues to show until Saturday 30 November. The production then returns to the Midlands in 2026, playing Wolverhampton Grand from Tuesday 10 - Sunday 15 March.