Review: Here and Now (New Theatre Oxford)

Here and Now is a new jukebox musical based on the music by Steps. Currently on tour, I was invited to see it at New Theatre Oxford.

I hadn’t read much about this show in advance, and I can’t claim to know the entire Steps back catalogue, so I went in with few expectations. The instant view of a storefront on stage set the scene for the evening, and on sight of this I did wonder how you could create a show set in a supermarket of all places. Later this set (Tom Rogers) expanded to show a seascape which was an interesting backdrop at times. I personally enjoyed that view as a contrast to the action in the foreground.

This is a show that absolutely does not take itself too seriously and if you’re looking for highbrow drama this is probably not for you but the joyful atmosphere in this production was infectious. The story created around Steps’ songs was initially quite ordinary, focussed on four friends who work in a supermarket, their relationships and the people around them in and outside of work. However there were some clever twists in the writing, including an unexpectedly dark revelation by Caz and a couple of other moments which brought you out of the party mood just for a moment… until the music and energy took over again.

The colour palate appeared to be either a subtle nod to certain Pride flags, or inspired by an explosion in a highlighter factory; we are talking much neon throughout, in the set, costumes and enhanced by the lighting as well. It would be impossible to be sitting in front of all of this brightness and not feel your mood lift. There was an entertaining contrast with some entirely grey costume choices for a couple of characters who had faded from the story towards the end. This was subtly done but a clever addition.

The lighting design (Howard Hudson) deserves a mention of its own. The pulsing colour changes in time with the music as well as the more subtle moments were lit to perfection.

The musicians did a stellar job, led by Musical Director Georgia Rawlings. Matt Spencer-Smith’s arrangements worked well, while maintaining the familiarity of the music by Steps. The dancing was high energy and very well done with choreography by Matt Cole making great use of the available space.

Unfortunately, there were some slight sound issues, with balance of the music being one (slightly heavy on the drums), and some mic issues (particularly in the case of Robbie's) which was a shame, but didn’t hugely impact on enjoyment of the show as a whole.

Caz was played by Lara Denning, whose vocals were superb and suited the songs. I also particularly enjoyed the duet between Neeta (Rosie Singha) and Ben (Ben Darcy) and I was completely bowled over by the performance by River Medway later in the show, which was definitely a highlight. But really the whole show was a pleasant surprise to me. Rarely hugely impressed by jukebox musicals, I found the energy this one maintained throughout made it reliably good fun.

Undoubtedly one of the most camp shows I have ever seen, Here and Now could make even the most miserable person crack a smile, even if that may be as a result of watching the die-hard Steps fans living their best lives at the front of the stalls.

⭐⭐⭐⭐

The extended curtain call megamix was a joy-filled affair, especially for someone with a camera in their hand. I haven’t finished sorting out the rest of my photos yet but they will be posted on my Instagram account when I have.

Here and Now is showing at The New Theatre until Sunday 22 February 2026. Click here to buy tickets.

I was gifted a ticket for this show in exchange for an honest review.