January 26th, 2024: Fans of 90s pop and musical theatre are in for a treat this autumn, following todays announcement that Steps are to launch a brand new musical, featuring their most iconic hits, at The Alexandra Theatre in Birmingham!
Though very little is currently known about the production – titled ‘Here & Now’ after the bands 2001 single of the same name – we do know that the story (written by Shaun Kitchener) follows the workers and patrons of a seaside superstore, and will be filled with “shocks, surprises and thrills”.
The show will be directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, and produced by the five members of Steps, along with theatre company ROYO, and music mogul Pete Waterman.
Choreography will be by Matt Cole, set design by Tom Rogers, costume design by Gabriella Slade, sound design by Adam Fisher, and casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting.
“Welcome to seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles. But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after’? Or does love have other plans in store…”
In a press release published this morning, the band (made up of Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Lisa Scott-Lee, Lee Latchford-Evans and Ian ‘H’ Watkins) said: “We’ve been lucky to do many things together as a band, but the question we get asked again and again is ‘where is the Steps musical?’ Well…it’s finally here and we couldn’t be more excited. We’ve searched for the perfect story for our music and we’ve found it in the aisle of a seaside superstore where four friends set out on their own Summer of Love.”
“It’s a story of friendship, romance and community; packed with our biggest hits and sure to have everybody laughing, crying and dancing in the aisles. We can’t wait to open the doors this year, and see you there!”
‘Here and Now’ is set to open at Birmingham’s Alexandra Theatre, and will run from November 9th to 24th. Tickets go on sale February, 9th 2024.