Sponsored

Here & Now – The Steps Musical is coming to Manchester

Happiness is only a heartbeat away. Contains affiliate links.

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson - 28th July 2025

A musical inspired by pop band Steps is coming to Manchester this year, and the principal cast for Here & Now has now been confirmed. 

The musical features Steps’ most beloved hit songs, including Tragedy, Heartbeat, Stomp, the One For Sorrow, Better Best Forgotten, 5,6,7,8, Last Thing On My Mind, Love’s Got A Hold Of My Heart, Chain Reaction, and many more. 

The story is set in seaside superstore Better Best Bargains, where it’s Friday night, the vibe is right, and everyone’s dancing in the aisles. 

But when Caz discovers the shelves are stocked with lies and betrayal, the summer of love she and her friends dreamed of suddenly feels like a tragedy. Have they all lost their chance of a ‘happy ever after’? Or does love have other plans in store…?

Here & Now has an original book by Shaun Kitchener and is directed by Rachel Kavanaugh, with choreography by Olivier Award-winning Matt Cole and Matt Spencer-Smith as musical supervisor, orchestrator and arranger.

ADVERTISEMENT

The show is produced by Steps themselves, ROYO, and pop legend Pete Waterman.

Producers have now confirmed that Rebecca Lock will star as Caz, returning from the original run in Birmingham. 

ADVERTISEMENT
Here & Now – The Steps Musical is coming to Manchester

Finty Williams will play Patricia, Blake Patrick Anderson will be Robbie, River Medway (fan favourite on the third season of RuPaul’s Drag Race UK, BBC) is Jem, Edward Baker Duly (The King and I) as Max and John Stacey as Lesley.

There are new cast members joining the principal cast too, including Jacqui Dubois (Ghost The Musical UK tour) as Vel, Chris Grahamson (NOW That’s What I Call A Musical UK and Ireland tour) as Gareth and Rosie Singha (& Juliet UK and Ireland tour) as Neeta.

Set design by Tom Rogers, costume design by Gabriella Slade, lighting design by Howard Hudson, sound design by Adam Fisher, wigs, hair and makeup design by Sam Cox, casting by Will Burton for Grindrod Burton Casting, Music Technology by Phij Adams with Production Management by Setting Line.

ADVERTISEMENT

Steps are one of the biggest pop bands of a generation, made up of Claire Richards, Faye Tozer, Ian ‘H’ Watkins, Lee Latchford-Evans and Lisa Scott-Lee. 

In their career they achieved 14 top five singles, four number one albums, 22 million record sales, 500 million streams and 11 sold-out national arena tours.  

Steps’ 2017 comeback tour was one of the biggest pop tours of that year, with 300,000 tickets sold, and they’ve continued to release new music.

You can find out more about Here & Now and book tickets HERE. 

Featured image: Supplied

Sponsored

adidas announces in-store trivia night and meet & greet to celebrate ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson adidas announces in-store trivia night and meet & greet to celebrate ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection

The Manchester adidas store will once again be welcoming in shoppers this week for way more than your regular shopping experience, announcing an in-store trivia night, rewards and entertainment this week. 

To celebrate the ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection, there’ll be a foosball table in store all week, a fast-paced sport-themed quiz night, and the chance to snag a free adidas x Man Utd football scarf as a gift with purchase. 

There’ll even be an unmissable player meet and greet with Manchester United players. 

The collection itself embraces an athletic silhouette, premium materials, and a head-to-toe colour block, with a range of joggers, hoodies and t-shirts all featuring a modern blackout crest and the iconic three-stripe logo. 

Each piece in the collection also has a graphic line detail that represents the markings on the football pitches and sports grounds we all know and love. 

The ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection is crafted with a unique 3D material construction, incorporating Primeknit fabric as well as cotton yams.

They’re soft to the touch, and perfect for throwing on after your workout or going out in the warmer weather. 

There’s something for men and women in the collection. 

It’s all rooted in the sense of belonging that being part of sport creates, and that means adidas are once again putting on a series of events in store to bring Mancs together. 

The ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection in Manchester
The ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection in Manchester
The ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection in Manchester
The ADIDAS Z.N.E. x MAN UTD collection in Manchester

All week you’ll see the collection taking over the windows of the Market Street store – and if you head inside, you can challenge your mates to a casual or competitive foosball match. 

There’ll also be an ADIDAS Z.N.E. X MAN UTD Football Scarf available as a gift with purchase from 29 September until 5 October. 

And on 1 October, adidas will be hosting an ADIDAS Z.N.E. X MAN UTD Trivia night – blending the camaraderie of a classic pub quiz with the drama and stakes of a classic game show. 

Teams will go head-to-head across a variety of themed quiz rounds, with a dramatic finale at the end, hosted by content creator and presenter Joe Thomlinson.

The store will also host an unmissable player meet and greet with Manchester United players.

The news of these events comes hot on the heels of the recent adidas Superstar relaunch activation, which has seen Mancs claiming free welded bracelets and ear piercings in-store over the weekend.  

Head into the adidas Market Street store any day this week to claim your adidas x Man UTD football scarf gift-with-purchase, or if you want to attend the ADIDAS Z.N.E. X MAN UTD Trivia event on 1 October, sign up to attend via the adidas confirmed app HERE.

Read more

Featured image: The Manc Group

Sponsored

The new app launching in Manchester where you can snap up spontaneous experiences and deals around town

Daisy Jackson Daisy Jackson Cambeo - The new app launching in Manchester where you can snap up spontaneous experiences and deals around town

An exciting new era of spontaneity is set to land in the North-West as Cambeo, the completely FREE app that turns “What shall we do tonight?” into an instant adventure, officially soft launches in Manchester.

Created by hospitality insiders, college friends & local lads Sam Howkins (The Mews Bar & Charcuterie) and Ethan Davis, Cambeo is an independent start-up initiative, connecting people to live, limited-time offers from pubs, cocktail bars, breweries, street-food kitchens, independent gig venues and more—no advance booking, no hidden fees.

The app is designed to make spontaneous city adventures effortless and rewarding. Simply download it, set your vibe—whether it’s live music, craft beer, retro arcade games, or late-night pizza—and get notified when a nearby venue launches a live, time-sensitive offer that matches your interests. 

From sunny outdoor tables and empty bowling lanes to unsold gig tickets or leftover shuffleboard slots, local businesses use the app to fill spaces in real time. When the alert hits your phone, all you have to do is show up, redeem, and enjoy. It’s like a surprise button for your social life – connecting you with the best the city has to offer, while helping local businesses thrive exactly when they need it.

Unlike traditional advertising or outdated discount platforms, Cambeo goes beyond food and drink. Users can discover experiences such as indie gigs, comedy nights, escape rooms, art classes, VR arcades, board-game cafés and late-night vinyl sessions (to name just a few). All in one place, separate from your social media. After all, you shouldn’t have to follow every pub, bar & restaurant in Manchester just to keep up with what’s happening.

Since launching, local hospitality partners include games bar Electric Shuffle, Crown & Kettle, The Freemount, Kongs Nq, 53Two, Quarter House and more, taking part in the app’s private BETA testing phase last month. With many more onboarded for its public beta. 

Both Howkins and Davis feel passionately about supporting the local hospitality industry, having grown up in Manchester and established careers in hospitality. 

Sam Howkins, co-founder of Cambeo, said: “I’m a firm believer that the best days & nights out are the truly spontaneous ones, where you meet up with friends after work for one drink and before you know it you’re dining out in a restaurant you’ve never heard of and tagging along to a last-minute gig. We’ve worked really hard to bring that concept of spontaneity into the app, to help people be more spontaneous and explore new experiences. 

Whether you’re struggling for ideas for date night, wanting to dine somewhere different with friends, or looking for an experience to socialise without it being based entirely around drinking, we’re looking to offer everything all within one app. No more scouring dozens of websites.

We’re confident we’ve created a truly win-win situation for everyone with Cambeo, businesses are able to instantly combat quiet periods of trade, while users can experience somewhere new, save money AND know they’re helping local businesses. 

I’ve worked in hospitality for over 11 years, so I know the struggles that the industry is facing with more and more businesses closing every week. Everyone wants to support their local, but it’s tough on the consumer also. We’re aiming to help fix all of that. 

I’ve had the idea for the app for about 9 years, working on it for the past 3 and I’m really, really excited for the people of Manchester to experience it, I only wish I had started on it sooner!” 

Ethan Davis, co-founder of Cambeo, said: “The current struggles aren’t just limited to hospitality, so Cambeo is a platform that is open to all businesses which have quiet times, from bars & restaurants, independent pubs, experiences, activity venues, gig venues, theatres, museums & art galleries. You name it, we want to help you experience it. If you’re a business that wants to welcome more people through your doors, Cambeo is here for you.

Hopefully people want to live more in the moment and try somewhere new? And best of all, it’s completely FREE!”

Cambeo is available to download from Monday 29th September  on the Apple App Store and Google Play. Early adopters will unlock surprise launch perks and become Manchester’s go-to experts for where to head next.

Following the soft launch in Manchester, Cambeo will be expanding to cities across the UK, helping users to find places and recommendations personalised to them. With plenty more features to be added into the app.

The app remains in its early stages, with the team encouraging support & patience from the people of Manchester as it continues to grow. As a small start-up focused on strengthening the hospitality industry during a challenging period, the initiative also aims to provide users with valuable opportunities to save money.

Download here: https://www.cambeo.co.uk/download

Socials: @cambeoapp 

For more info: https://www.cambeo.co.uk

ADVERTISEMENT

Read more: Cheshire Oaks announces exclusive student night – with free coaches to get you there

Featured image: Supplied

More Sponsored

Cheshire Oaks announces exclusive student night - with free coaches to get you there

Cheshire

Cheshire Oaks announces exclusive student night – with free coaches to get you there

McDonald’s just celebrated this year’s MONOPOLY game with a giant prize dome on Market Street

Sponsored

McDonald’s just celebrated this year’s MONOPOLY game with a giant prize dome on Market Street

The adidas Manchester store is ready for a big Superstar takeover

Manchester

adidas announces major in-store rewards in Manchester to celebrate the launch of iconic Superstar trainers

Audio

Clint Boon takes us around Manchester's iconic Deaf Institute

Eats

We go meatballs deep with Mira's traditional Neapolitan sandwiches