5,6,7,8... Here & Now: The Steps Musical

Taking over the lead role of Caz in the Here & Now musical for the UK and Ireland tour, Lara Denning promises that audiences are in for a theatrical treat. “They’re gonna get so much fun and joy from a show that’s full of relatable characters,” she says, “and I’m getting so much joy from being in it. It’s a story about how it’s okay to make mistakes, about forming amazing friendships, forging new bonds and discovering what really matters in life.”

Written by Shaun Kitchener and directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, Here & Now: The Steps Musical is co-produced by pop superstars Steps and features their most beloved songs, prompting Lara to gush: “It will leave everyone absolutely buzzing from all the Steps bangers. These songs are just incredible, and they’re woven into the story so brilliantly. I’m a huge Steps fan, but who isn’t?” She laughs. “I don’t trust anybody who says they don’t love Steps!”

Denning’s character Caz works at seaside superstore Better Best Bargains (as a nod to Steps’ 1999 smash hit Better Best Forgotten). “She’s about to turn 50,” the actress elaborates, “then suddenly the trajectory of her life changes. Like all of her friends at the store, she goes through a journey. It is, to quote a great Steps lyric, all about taking a chance on a happy ending.”

Lara is careful not to give spoilers, but it turns out that the shelves of the store are stocked with lies and betrayal, and the summer of love (another Steps reference) that Caz and her mates have been dreaming of suddenly seems like a tragedy (ditto!).

“I love playing her,” she beams, “because she’s a loyal friend and sort of a mum or a cool auntie to the youngsters that she works with. She’s a feisty lady and a very warm, generous woman, but there’s a vulnerability to her that again people will be able to relate to. I certainly can relate to her, because my friends mean the world to me.”

Denning is no stranger to musical theatre, with a vast CV that includes Sunset Boulevard, Everybody’s Talking About Jamie, Matilda, Charlie & The Chocolate Factory and & Juliet to name just a few. Here & Now: The Steps Musical is special, she believes, because: “We’re in a very odd world at the moment, aren’t we? I think actually going backwards is a nicer thing than going forwards, and there’s so much nostalgia for the music in the show. People in the audience have their own backstories about the songs and the journeys they themselves have been on.”

Asked to pick a favourite number in it, she settles on the slowed-down version of One For Sorrow. “It’s usually an uptempo number but here it’s done as a ballad, and it comes at a point in the show where Caz is most vulnerable. It really tugs at the heartstrings.”

Rosie Singha, who stars as Neeta, is a big fan of 5,6,7,8. “It reminds me of school discos,” she says, “and doing all the dance moves. I also love Better the Devil You Know and Scared of the Dark, which is my biggest number in the show where Neeta gets to let loose and have loads of fun.”

She already knew Lee Latchford-Evans before she signed on for Here & Now: The Steps Musical, since they were both in & Juliet on tour together. “It’s been nice seeing him again, and Steps are really behind the show. They want it to be brilliant, which it is.”

Rosie describes Neeta as “a true sweetheart and an optimist” who has a crush on fellow staffer Ben. “Never in her wildest dreams does she believe that she would ever be good enough for him, but she’s got such a tight-knit group of friends for support. They have the most amazing dynamic, where they’re silly together and they can tell each other anything.”

Of South Asian heritage, Rosie is proud to be in the show because: “You don’t often see South Asians on stage, plus this show has such a gorgeously diverse cast. On top of that, all of the characters are just living their lives with real-world troubles and fears. Audiences will see people that they know or can identify with.”

River Medway is another of the musical’s returnees. A familiar face from the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, he plays Jem – a Better Best Bargains customer, Robbie’s love interest and a drag queen. “So it’s the perfect part for me! Jem has his own drag persona, which the audience gets to see when he performs Chain Reaction. Maybe I’m biased but it’s my favourite number in the show.”

Since Drag Race River has toured the country and starred in Unfortunate: The Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch and Death Drop: Back in the Habit. He was hooked in by Here & Now because: “Steps’ music was a big part of my childhood. I trained in musical theatre and when this role came up it was like ‘I love musicals, I love pop music, I love Steps and the character is a drag queen. I’m in!'”

There was another reason why River said yes to the role. “With all the other shows I’ve done before, I’ve been in drag the whole time, whereas here I’m actually playing a real person who is also a drag queen.”

Echoing the sentiments of his castmates, River feels: “It’s a fantastic musical that has a lot of heart and tells a lot of really great stories that I think everyone can relate to. It’s about all these different types of people from all different walks of life – different age ranges and ethnicities and body types and sexualities.”

He grins. “And let’s not forget all those amazing Steps songs! They’ve always been really welcoming to everyone and their shows have always been about having fun and being yourself. The same is true of Here & Now.“