Pop band Steps has said their new musical coming to the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre this month is "pure escapism" and that they hope Irish audiences react "lively and merrily" to the show.
The British pop icons touched down in Dublin to launch the Irish tour leg of their musical Here & Now - The Steps Musical, which opens at the Docklands theatre on 23 September for a limited two-week run.
Rather than telling the story of Steps, the pop phenomenon consisting of members Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian 'H' Watkins, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee, the original jukebox musical is based around the band's hit-stuffed back-catalogue.
Described as "heart-warming and hilarious", Here & Now is set in the seaside superstore Better Best Bargains and follows supermarket worker Caz (Rebecca Lock) and her friends as they navigate love, lies, friendship and betrayal.
Speaking to RTÉ Entertainment from the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre, wearing very fetching and expertly coordinated zebra-print outfits, the pop stars were beaming with pride as they revealed it's "a dream come true" to have the show on the road.
Claire explained that the long-gestating project was never envisioned to be the story of the band.
"When we first started talking about this, we knew that it wasn't gonna be about us and we wanted it to be a story that the audience could relate to and that they could see a little bit of themselves in," she said.
"Even though it's a hyperreal of version of that - it's really colourful, everything's pink and blue and sparkly and there's disco balls and drag queens..."
"That's my daily routine," H interjected with a laugh.
Claire continued: "Which is kind of what Steps has always been anyway. We just wanted it to be relatable. And for people to walk out of the theatre thinking, 'What have I just seen?' and 'That was amazing!'"
"We really wanted to have a story that was curated with us together with somebody else," Faye said of the musical, which is coproduced by the band alongside ROYO and Pete Waterman.
"There were lots of ideas that came into the hat and I think the end result is definitely a collaboration between us and the wonderful writer Shaun Kitchener.
"He's helped us navigate it and then put in our amazing songs in such a way that it's almost very tongue-in-cheek and some of them have a twist on them. It's been a really exciting project to be on."
Steps burst onto the music scene with their 1997 dance-pop hit 5, 6, 7, 8, before releasing a slew of hit singles including One For Sorrow, Tragedy/Heartbeat, Better Best Forgotten, Love's Got A Hold Of My Heart and Chain Reaction, all of which feature in the musical which has been an audience and critically-acclaimed success since it debuted in Birmingham last November.
H said it's been gratifying to see the project, which they are "so passionate about", finally come to fruition after going through "so many different versions".
"We are really protective over our legacy and our back-catalogue, so it has to come from us," he said. "It's official, it's completely endorsed and we are so proud of it."
As for that legacy, Lisa said she just wants "people to remember us with a smile".
"I think the world sometimes can be a dark place and especially the times we're living in right now," H said.
"And this show is just escapism, pure escapism. Just come and live your best life and have the best night of your life. And that's what it's about."
The temptation to dance in the aisles during the show is strong, but Lee urged audience members to stay in their seats until the Steps megamix at the end.
"It's one of those musicals where people are telling people to sit down during the show because they just want to go up and have a good time and it's not quite about that, is it?" he joked. "It's about watching the show, watching the story and then partying at the end."
The seeds for the idea of making a jukebox musical were planted when members of the band went to see Mamma Mia!, the smash-hit stage show based around the songs of ABBA. The musical was subsequently adapted into the hit movies Mamma Mia! (2008) and Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again (2018).
The band were unequivocal when asked if they'd like to see Here & Now adapted for the big screen.
"Yes." H said emphatically.
"It'd be a dream for all of us for sure," Lisa agreed.
"It's cheaper than going to Greece, isn't it?" H deadpanned of the show's supermarket setting.
"It would lend itself to amazing British casting, which would be fantastic," Claire said.
"Come on, let's cast it now!," added H with a smile.
After almost three decades in the music industry, Steps have carved out an impressively long-lasting career in a famously fickle business.
"It's very special," Lisa said of the support they've received over the years. "That's the reason we are still here, because of our fans - we have wonderful, loyal fans."
"And all of those fans now have children, so it's multi-generational. It's gorgeous," H added.
And are their own kids super proud of everything they've achieved?
"They don’t care," H joked. "[They say]: 'Let me watch KPop Demon Hunters'."
Here & Now - The Steps Musical runs at the Bord Gáis Energy Theatre from 23 September until 4 October 2025.
