★★★★ (4 of 5)
It only seems like five minutes since we were at the world premiere season of HERE & NOW which we reviewed in November 2024 HERE. Since then it has set out on an ambitious nationwide tour to take the staff of Better Best Bargains to the farthest reaches of the UK in order to spread joy, a few tears and a whole heap of camp. There have been a few cast changes in the interim, so we thought we would check out the touring version at one of our favourite theatres, the Grand in Wolverhampton.
The story (such as it is) centres around the seaside discount store Better Best Bargains, being run under the steady hand of store owner and French-ophile Patricia. But changes are afoot when her secret French lover Honri turns out to be property developer Max, who has purchased the store from Patricia with the devious intention of closing it down and building luxury condos in its place! Are the staff gonna stand for that? Not on your disco loving sequinned boob tube they are not. The staff themselves are all at personal crossroads in their love lives. And conveniently for them, there is always a Steps song to help them along.
Tom Rogers' impressive set glows with pinks, blues and neon, giving a disco feel to the store which sets us in a heightened world where Hi-NRG could break out at any minute. It is the perfect visual for a show packed with pop classics, direct from the pages of Smash Hits.
Having taken over the lead from Rebecca Lock, Lara Denning proves to be the star attraction yet again as shop floor worker Caz. We saw her deliver the goods in Eugenius and & Juliet, and her knock-out voice is used to even greater effect on the Steps power ballads 'One For Sorrow' and 'Heartbeat'. Caz is the beating earth mother of the show, and Denning as usual delivers us a glittering powerbomb of a performance.
Another new face in the cast is Sally Ann Matthews (Jenny Bradley of Coronation Street to us) who brings some comic presence to stuffy Patricia, store owner and wannabe romantic. Matthews has an impressive theatre CV to add to her iconic television role, and she is able to bring her stage experience to bare on the stores loveable curmudgeon.
Jacqui Dubois adds soul and sass to Vel, Caz's best friend and confidante whose "Come out, come out and dance with me" chorus of 'Neon Blue' proves to be prophetic as she eyes love on the other side of the track. Rosie Singha bubbles away as Neeta, who refuses to reveal her secret crush on Ben, a sexy hunk who also works at Better Best Bargains. Ben Darcy as Ben dances up a storm and is the store eye candy, the fact he has a great voice too is a nice bonus. Lauren Woolf makes the most of Tracey, the warehouse manager who seems to have the perfect life with her 'Sophie'.
Blake Patrick Anderson as Robbie and River Medway as Jem are both long stayers from the premiere season. Blake's performance has matured since that first outing, giving a much more three dimensional reading of commitment shy Robbie whilst River Medway is - well - River Medway, drag queen extraordinarie with a great line in patter. Edward Baker-Duly is back as the odious Honri / Max, and the fact there are jeers at his curtain call prove he has played his role to the hilt.
Naturally the hits come thick and fast as the Steps catalogue is plundered, with writer Shaun Kitchener managing to neatly tie the songs into the narrative, helped along by Rachel Kavanaugh's strong direction which brings out the emotional core of each character. Whether you want a bargain in the electrical goods aisle or a half-price hoedown, you find yourself catered for in this Steps flavoured slice of seaside sunshine.
As jukebox musicals go this is among the better of the crop, its cheesy but its joyous. The perfect antidote to the disturbing times we are living through. Stop worrying about what the future holds, and start a chain reaction by getting yourself in store. It's time to begin - now count it in5-6-7-8!
Rob & Ian
Further information and tour dates can be found at the OFFICIAL STEPS MUSICAL WEBSITE
P.S. No cast album on the way it seems, we can only hope the show is recorded for streaming before the current tour closes.
