Ahead of their new musical arriving at Leeds Grand Theatre, Victoria Reddington meets Steps to talk legacy, storytelling and why their biggest hits were always destined for the stage.
Interviewing Steps is not quite like interviewing any other band. For anyone who grew up in late-90s and early-00s Britain, they occupy a very specific and nostalgic corner of cultural memory; one filled with school discos, weekend television, carefully re-enacted choreography and pop songs that formed part of our soundtrack growing up.
As an elder millennial, I know this shorthand well. So when Here & Now: The Steps Musical opened its UK and Ireland tour at Manchester Opera House in September 2025, I went along for H&N Magazine, full of anticipation to see how that era-defining back catalogue translated from arena-ready pop to a fully staged musical.
Ahead of the performance, I sat down with Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee to talk about bringing their catalogue to the stage, reimagining familiar songs and what it means to revisit their legacy in a new form.
Now, ahead of the show’s run at Leeds Grand Theatre from Tuesday 5 – Sunday 10 May 2026, we revisit that conversation, and why Here & Now is far more than just a play on nostalgia.
The Interview
In person, Steps look fantastic. They are still unmistakably Steps (the colour, performance and personality are all there) but it feels more individual now and less like a pop uniform. These are five people who know exactly who they are and are comfortable in their own distinct style. They are warm and welcoming too, despite this being the final interview in a long day of press. Still firmly at the top of their game, they slip easily between nostalgia and sharp self-awareness; a dynamic that feels very much reflected in the musical itself. And, as they explain, the journey from idea to stage has been a story years in the making.
Q: This musical has been a long time coming. When did the idea first start to take shape?
Claire Richards: “It has. We’ve been talking about this for a very, very long time – probably even back to when we went to see the opening night of Mamma Mia! many years ago. We said, ‘Wouldn’t this be lovely?’ But yeah, it’s probably been about eight, ten years in the making to actually get it on a stage and out on tour.”
Q: What made you feel your music would work in a theatrical setting?
Lisa Scott-Lee: “I think, really, because of our back catalogue, we’re very blessed to have lots of lovely songs. They just lend themselves to a musical. There’s a moment in each song that fits perfectly with the story that’s been written.”
Set inside seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, Here & Now follows a group of friends navigating love, friendship and betrayal, a premise that mirrors the emotional arcs already embedded in Steps’ music. Visually, it weaves in playful nods to the band’s past, from a Deeper Shade of Blue-inspired look reimagined in full stage-sequinned glory, to familiar touches that will delight fans without losing anything for those coming to the story fresh.
Q: What’s it been like seeing your songs reinterpreted in this way?
Lee Latchford-Evans: “We just love how it’s all collaborating together. It’s now off the page and there on its feet. You see all these characters come to life. We’ve got a great team and we enjoy watching the show just like everyone else.”
Q: Did anything about the process surprise you?
Faye Tozer: “I think just how well the songs fit. You always hope they will, but when you actually see it all come together – the story, the choreography, the performances – it just works in a way that feels really natural.”
I’d agree with Faye here, that this is definitely one of the show’s central strengths. This isn’t simply a collection of songs strung together, but a production where music and narrative are carefully intertwined.
Q: Are there any standout moments for you in the show?
Claire Richards: “Heartbeat is a big one. When we perform it as Steps, it’s always been a love song but in the musical, it lands in a completely different emotional place. I think audiences will be surprised by how moving that moment is.”
Heartbeat – without giving away any spoilers – one of the clearest examples of how Here & Now treats the Steps catalogue as a storytelling tool and not a playlist. Songs which audiences think they know, are performed with new context, giving them a different emotional weight.
Q: Do you see this as a new chapter for Steps creatively?
Ian ‘H’ Watkins:
“It definitely feels like a new way of telling our story. We’ve done tours, albums, and TV, but this is something completely different. It’s exciting to see it take on a life of its own.”
Q: If you each worked at Better Best Bargains, what section would we find you in? And which Steps song would be playing while you worked?
Claire Richards: “I’d be on the tills using the scanner, definitely, playing something up-tempo to keep the queues moving! Probably Chain Reaction… that’s a highlight for me in the musical.”
Lee Latchford-Evans: “I’d be tidying everything up, shelves neat, trolleys in line! And music-wise… maybe Here & Now, just because it’s the title of the show.”
Q: Is there a character in the show you particularly relate to?
Ian ‘H’ Watkins: “I’d probably say Caz. She takes a long time to find her happy place, and I think I relate to that. I’m in a happy place now, but like me, I think a lot of people will relate to her journey.”
Faye Tozer: “I really love Neeta. She’s quirky, a bit shy, still figuring things out – but she’s so endearing. I think a lot of people will see themselves in her.”
Q: If you could star in any musical yourselves, what would you choose?
Claire Richards: “My first musical was Les Misérables and I always wanted to be Éponine, but now I think I’d quite like to be Fantine as you get to sing such a beautiful song, and then just kind of gracefully die.”
Lee Latchford-Evans: “I’ve just done & Juliet recently and didn’t realise how good it was – all those pop songs in a theatre setting really work. The music in it is all Max Martin music so it’s all the hits of the Backstreet Boys, Britney Spears, there’s so many big names in it – I’ve been so fortunate to kind of do that. I think studying in musical theatre, if I was to go back I really liked Miss Saigon. Although I am too old to be Chris now, but that’s such an iconic role.”
Q: What was it like being in a band in the 90s and 00s?
Claire Richards: “I honestly think that we had the best time. I think that was the best decade for pop groups, so I feel very lucky that we were part of it. And we’ve got many friends and peers who were there with us back in the day who are still performing with us now. It was a very special time in the 90s and the 00s.”
That sense of joy and longevity is key to Steps’ appeal. As Claire reflects, their place in pop history was shaped in the 90s and 00s, but their connection with audiences has carried firmly into the present day.
From Pop Icons to Theatre Storytellers
With 22 million record sales, four Number 1 albums and a catalogue spanning four decades, Steps’ move into theatre feels less like a reinvention and more like a natural progression.
Here & Now brings together a strong cast, including River Medway of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, alongside established stage performers such as Edward Baker Duly, Blake Patrick Anderson and Lauren Woolf. The result is a production that bridges pop nostalgia and musical theatre with real ease.
At its core, Here & Now is nostalgic without feeling dated, delivering feel-good escapism with genuine emotional depth. And right now, that feels like exactly the kind of theatre we could all do with.
Whether you grew up with Steps or are coming to their music for the first time, this is a show designed to draw you in and keep you there.
And if Lee’s description is anything to go by, this is not just a musical.
It is a party. With a heart.
Booking Details:
Here & Now: The Steps Musical is at Leeds Grand Theatre, Tuesday 5th – Sunday 10th May 2026
Tickets: £61 – £31
www. leedsheritagetheatres.com or call the Box Office on 0113 243 0808
Please note: This feature draws on a one-to-one interview conducted by Victoria Reddington and a wider press conference round table discussion, with responses edited for clarity and flow.
Credits: Steps Interview photography: Victoria Reddington. Here & Now Production photography: Pamela Raith. Here & Now Behind-the-scenes photography: Danny Kaan.
