Main casting has been announced for a new musical, Here and Now, presented by “pop sensation” Steps, which will have its première in Birmingham in November 2024.
Rebecca Lock, who has spent the last two Christmases playing Emily Hobbs in ELF – The Musical at the Dominion Theatre in the West End, will take the role of Caz McGovern in Here and Now.
Hiba Elchikhe will play Neeta Thakkar. She was one of the original leading cast members of the West End and Chester Storyhouse production of The Time Traveller’s Wife – The Musical, with music by Joss Stone and Dave Stewart, at the Apollo Theatre in 2023.
Sharlene Hector, “one of the UK’s top soul, R&B and pop vocalists” and lead vocalist of Basement Jaxx, will play Vel King. Blake Patrick Anderson will play Robbie Davies. He took the role of Michael in Be More Chill, with music and lyrics by Joe Iconis and book by Joe Tracz, at The Other Palace in 2020. Further casting is to be announced.
Steps—Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee—are the UK’s most successful mixed-sex pop group of all time, with 14 top five singles, four number one albums, 22 million record sales, 500 million streams and 11 sold-out national arena tours to their name.
Here and Now has a book by Shaun Kitchener and is produced by Steps and ROYO with Pete Waterman. It will be directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Matt Cole. Matt Spencer-Smith is musical supervisor.
Set design is by Tom Rogers, costume designer is Gabriella Slade and lighting design is by Howard Hudson. Sound design is by Adam Fisher, wigs, hair and make-up design are by Sam Cox and casting is by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting. Associate director is Matt Hassall, associate choreographer is Jane McMurtrie and associate sound designer is Ollie Durrant.
Here and Now will run at the Alexandra, Birmingham from Saturday 9 until Saturday 30 November.