Checkout Comedy and Chart Hits: Here & Now Knows Exactly What It’s Doing
There are jukebox musicals, and then there’s Here & Now, which proudly raids your old CD wallet, your teenage bedroom walls and your slightly embarrassing but still iconic dance moves. At Wales Millennium Centre, Steps’ back catalogue isn’t just wheeled out for a nostalgia singalong; it’s stitched into a story that knows exactly what it is and has a brilliant time being it.
As someone who grew up with Steps soundtracking birthday parties, school discos and dramatic bedroom lip-sync sessions, this felt oddly personal. From the first number, the audience energy was less polite theatre crowd and more “we all know the words and we are not pretending otherwise”. You could feel that shared millennial joy humming through the seats.
“It is joyful, self-aware and made with obvious affection for the music”
The plot unfolds in a supermarket, which turns out to be a surprisingly perfect setting. The stage is transformed into aisles, checkouts and staff corners, all with a glossy, hyper-real finish that looks like it’s wandered in from a late-90s pop video. It is bright, bold and knowingly artificial in the best way. You even get the odd trolley gliding past in perfect choreography.
The story leans into workplace chaos, tangled relationships and big personalities, giving the cast plenty to get their teeth into between numbers. It has the rhythm of a classic British sitcom, all quick-fire lines and characters you recognise instantly. On the way out, I overheard a woman sum it up perfectly: “That was like a comedy sitcom and a musical had a baby.” Honestly, no notes. That’s exactly the vibe.
There’s also a strong whiff of Victoria Wood’s Dinnerladies in the mix. The humour comes from people, not punchlines parachuted in for effect. The awkwardness, the small-town dynamics, the heartfelt moments that sneak up on you between jokes, it’s all there. Then suddenly someone is belting a Steps anthem and the whole thing lifts off again.
The songs are woven in with a wink rather than a nudge. Some are used for pure fun, giving the audience permission to revel in the cheese. Others land with surprising emotional weight, reminding you that beneath the glitter, Steps always did know how to sell a feeling. The arrangements keep things fresh while still delivering the hooks exactly where you want them.
Performances across the board are big, bold and completely committed. No one is trying to play it cool. The cast understand that this show works because it embraces the camp heart of pop and theatre at the same time. The result is two hours of laughter, recognition and the occasional moment where you realise you are far more emotionally attached to a Steps song than you ever admitted.
Here & Now is not pretending to be gritty realism or highbrow drama. It is joyful, self-aware and made with obvious affection for the music and the audience who grew up with it. If you ever rewound a Steps CD to practise the dance break, this musical feels like it was made for you. And if you didn’t, you might just leave wishing you had. Get your tickets to Here & Now at the Wales Millennium centre here!
