Lara Denning talks '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,"

"They'll see themselves in the people up there on the stage, 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."

            The 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!"

            Written by Shaun Kitchener and directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, Here & Now had its world premiere at The Alexandra in Birmingham in November 2024 and played for three weeks after it became the theatre's fasting-selling show ever.

            Following in the footsteps of original leading lady Rebecca Lock, Denning plays Caz, who 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 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."

            The song was a huge hit for the UK's most successful mixed-gender band ever, who have 22 million record sales and 500 million streams under their collective belts since they came to fame in 1997.

            Their numerous hits include the song that gives the musical its title, with Jacqui Dubois quipping: "It's the perfect show for here and now because it's so joyful, and we all need some joy in our lives. It's heartwarming, it's funny, it's got a bit of everything and you can share it with all the generations in your family."

            Jacqui plays Vel, who is one of Caz's best friends at Better Best Bargains and about whom she says: "Vel's been there for 25 years and she's very loyal, both as a friend and to her work. She's very warm and likeable, and like the rest of the characters she's so relatable because she's an everywoman."

            New to the Here & Now cast for the tour, Jacqui's theatre credits include The Wizard of Oz, The Lion King, Rent, The Full Monty and Fame. A seasoned tourer, she's looking forward to taking the show around the country. "I love travelling and it's great to visit all these different places and different audiences," Dubois says, adding with a laugh: "In Liverpool or Glasgow, for example, they tend to be a bit more raucous."

            When she toured in Fame she starred opposite Ian 'H' Watkins, who is in Steps alongside Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee. "So it's a nice reunion," she grins, adding that the band have been very hands-on with the show to make sure it has a strong story.

            "The script is so good," Dubois says. "When I first read it I was so immersed in the story, which really sets it apart. And obviously the music is great. As with all great pop bands, Steps songs are really catchy and they stick in your mind."

            Her faves? That'd be opening number Stomp, Last Thing on My Mind ("which is so much fun, with lots of trolleys and baskets and things") and The Way You Make Me Feel.

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 before she signed on for Here & Now, 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."

            This is only her second professional role after & Juliet and she's pinching herself.

"I'm really excited and I feel very humbled to be amongst this incredible cast, and it's the sort of escapism that we need right now. The real world can be pretty scary at times, especially at the minute, so it's nice that we can provide people with a night out where they can forget everything, have some drama and some fun and a dance at the end."

            Played by Blake Patrick Anderson, Robbie is another store worker. "And he's a bit of a playboy and a bit of a commitment-phobe. Caz inspires the group to take a chance on falling in love, so he goes on that journey but his coping mechanism is definitely to be silly. He's a really fun character to play."

            Blake was in the original cast and was part of the workshops, admitting with mock embarrassment: "Back then I didn't know Steps at all, apart from one or two songs from my sisters growing up. That's been a brilliant part of this - getting to learn about their music and how much people love it."

            Returning to the role for the UK is a joy because: "We had such a short run in Birmingham, so we were still very much exploring and finding the characters. Knowing that I'm going to sit in this character for the next few months is really exciting and the reaction to the show was insanity beyond what I could have imagined! I remember on opening night, as soon as the overture started playing the screams were deafening."

            Blake's many musical theatre credits include Be More Chill, Gatsby The Musical, Rent and Closer To Heaven. This show is particularly special to him, as he explains: "For me as a queer man, there are often stories about moving to the big city and how you have to go and find your community. But Here & Now is about people who have found their community at home. I'm really excited to take this show on tour because it means that a real-life Robbie somewhere is going to see it in his hometown."

            Blake's favourite song in the show is Say You'll Be Mine. As for why he feels Steps have such a huge LGBTQ following, he muses: "There's a lot of camp to their songs and they're all about having a good time. Having met the band, they are so open and inclusive and so lovely, which is as much a credit to them as it is to their music."

            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. When we did it in Birmingham last year, it was the perfect amalgamation of so many things all coming together and with an amazing team. The fact that people like Shaun and Rachel, who have done such amazing work before, are involved reinforces just how good a show it really is."

            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."