Jukebox musicals are incredibly popular – throw in some big hits from a popular artist or group, and in most cases, include a flimsy storyline, and the fans will come. Take That and ABBA have both had their songs featured in musicals, the latter being more prominent with Mama Mia. Steps are the latest act to follow this route with Here and Now, which rolled into the Opera House in Blackpool as part of a nationwide tour.

Here and Now comes with a storyline that never loses its step, though at times the plot might seem a little rushed – this isn’t a musical about the story of Steps, it must be noted. Set in a fictional seaside bargain supermarket, Better Best Bargains, home to a group of workers who all have personal relationship problems with their other halves. The main character is Caz, played brilliantly by Laura Denning. Caz is looking to adopt when her husband Gareth (Chris Grahamson) decides that they should split up, and the “summer of love” that she and her work colleagues are looking forward to looks to be in jeopardy.

Add to that the sleazy Max (Edward Baker-Duly), who manipulates Caz into getting her boss Patricia (Sally Ann Matthews) to sell Better Best Bargains so he can sell the supermarket to build houses upon, and you have a plot that never aims for the bargain basement, instead taking things a step up to a higher level as far as the action is concerned.

Completing the main lineup are fellow supermarket workers Vel (Jacqui Dubois), Robbie (Blake Patrick Anderson) and Neeta (Rosie Singha), who all gel together with a good chemistry and humour between them all.

The audience was literally never a heartbeat away from a Steps song, with the various cast members rolling off another hit, though undoubtedly it was Denning who took the lead as far as replicating the emotion and soul of many a Steps song, with One for Sorrow, After the Love Has Gone and Better the Devil You Know being good cases in point. The rest of the cast sing and dance their way through the Steps back catalogue including 5,6,7,8, where the supermarket decides to hold a Half Price Hoedown, Tragedy and a sequence where Chain Reaction was performed by the cast on top of a set of washing machines with leading light and part-time drag queen Jem (River Medway) leading the way.

If all this sounds a little trivial, the action flipped with ease from moments such as these to the more serious aspects of the show, in a musical that contains many elements that the diverse range of Steps fans can relate to, all being cleverly written into the script.

Much like Blackpool itself, this is a musical that is camp, colourful, and cheerful that you can take or leave. Far from being a tragedy, it could have been, if you are a Steps fan; this is probably the best night out you will have until the inevitable Steps tour celebrating their thirtieth anniversary. For others, you can rest assured that yes, you can take a chance on a happy ending where Here and Now delivers on all counts, and in the words of one of Step’s biggest hits, it is never Better Best Forgotten.

Highly enjoyable.

Blackpool Opera House – runs until Sunday 12th April
Further dates in the north:
Hull New Theatre – 21st-26th April
Leeds Grand – 5th -10th May