Here and Now - Review!

I was super fortunate to have been invited to the press night performance of the musical “Here and Now” which features songs from the iconic band “Steps”. The story of this show is super fun and follows the workers in a seaside store called Better Best Bargains who all want to have their “Summer of Love” and find their happy ending.

Straight off the bat, the show was immediately upbeat and electric! You could truly feel the joy radiating from the cast. I particularly loved the plot of the show as its such a fun show to be able to sit back and enjoy, rather than feeling like you need to be constantly keeping up with the story, or having to analyse and infer things deeper in order to understand. It was simple yet so engaging, which is exactly the type of performances I LOVE! Every single character was so likeable and lovely, which made the performance an absolute joy to watch. You KNOW that a plot twist is good when the entire audience has a vocal reaction and is audibly gasping and reacting, my jaw was wide open. That is when you know you have succeeded in keeping everyone engaged.

I also feel that sometimes jukebox musicals are such a hit and miss, truly trying to make the music fit in, however it’s often not executed well. With this show, I feel the complete opposite way! Every single song had so much impact and meaning to the story and fit perfectly with the ideas that they were trying to convey.

Rebecca Lock played Caz and what a powerhouse she is!! Every single song she sung was sensational and I was in awe at her vocals (in my notes I have literally written “CAZ VOCALS OH MY! WOW” so as you can tell I was clearly amazed). The harmonies within the ensemble as a whole were so incredibly powerful and beautiful, I literally got chills. A particular moment which I adored was the Half Price Hoedown scene. It was absolutely hilarious and brought so much life to the stage, and was so fun to watch! The dancing throughout this entire show was so good and strong!

If you get a chance to see this show, please go!! It truly brings such a joyous atmosphere to the theatre and its so much fun for anyone, whether you are a die hard steps fan, or you only know a song or two (like me).

Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

{gifted invite}