Faye Tozer is pop royalty and has been for nearly 30 years. As one-fifth of Steps, she’s been part of a group that defined a generation, selling over 20 million records and soundtracking everything from school discos to weddings. Nearly three decades on, Steps are still filling arenas - proof, as Faye herself says, that “the music always wins.” Their legacy is one of joy, resilience and unapologetic pop brilliance.

When I sat down with Faye, our conversation reflected exactly that. We began by talking about her recent solo photoshoot with Owen - her first for a while, where his dog Lana almost stole the spotlight. We soon found ourselves reminiscing about VHS makeup tutorials, butterfly clips and the enduring power of 90s and 00s nostalgia. At the heart of it all was Here & Now, the brand new Steps musical, which Faye describes with pride and affection. Much like the band itself, it’s colourful, inclusive and full of heart - a reminder of why, 30 years later, the world still can’t get enough of Steps.

I’m not going to lie, Faye, I am a long-term Steps fan. So it's an honour for me to do this. I’d love to understand more about how you and the rest of the band settled on the show concept, as perhaps it isn't quite what people would have expected from a Steps musical?

It’s got to be over a decade ago that we [the band] were speaking and obviously watching other bands do musicals, and we really knew that our music would lend itself to a musical because of its lyric content, the melody content and the drama. Quite a few of our songs have a strong narrative, but with a high dance beat. We always knew, singing and performing these songs in the studio, that there was a lot to them and that they would really work in a story situation on stage.

So we approached our management about making it happen. But it’s not something that happens overnight. To start off with, a lot of people laughed at us and didn’t believe it could work.

Initially, we talked about writing the storyline ourselves. But because we are five big egos with very different opinions, as with songwriting as well, we came to the conclusion that there are brilliant scriptwriters out there, award-winning teams. If we could narrate the story and somebody else could actually write the script, then that would be the winning concept for us. So we went to writers’ agents and had lots of scripts sent to us.

A lot of the stories we’d already heard before. We didn’t want to do something biographical. Everyone knows that story anyway. For us, it was more that we wanted the music to have a new life. That didn’t really fit with telling the story of how the band came about. We wanted fans to relate to what they saw on stage. We wanted it grounded, inclusive and honest -  something where everybody could see their best mate in there, or themselves.

As a band, I think we’ve always kind of been the underdogs in the industry. But because of that, we have a lot of champions and a lot of people who root for us - or see themselves within our success.

Through loads of different ideas, we came across the brilliant writer Sean Kitchener. With all the stories and characters we had collected over eight to ten years of working this out, it became four friends making a pact - to fall in love, or to be better to themselves. It’s set in a seaside town, in a bargain store. Really down to earth.

We’re not trying to be Shakespeare. We want people to have a joyful, fun night, but also with a lot of heart. I feel like a lot of our friendship within the band comes through - the innocence, the struggles sometimes. For us, it’s ended up being the perfect storyline in the perfect colours, and so inclusive.

I went to see the first day of rehearsals with the tour cast the other day. We’ve been lucky enough to keep a lot of the original main cast from our Birmingham showcase. The energy in the room, as soon as the overture comes on, everyone’s wiggling in their seats, laughing, joining in. It’s a really beautiful thing. We’re dead proud. And I know it’s not the shiny Devil Wears Prada type show, but it’s so joyful. And I think that’s exactly what we need right now.

With the show’s overall message around ‘losing the chance of happy ever after’, what do you think it is about Steps’ music that makes it the perfect soundtrack to that?

It’s really funny because I think a lot of the songs have taken on completely different meanings in the show. If you come to see it, Heartbeat in the context it’s set in is so beautiful and heartfelt - we were blown away, we all had lumps in our throats and real tears.

Steps’ music has been written by incredible people across the world and across generations. It’s about love, love lost, love gained, and expressed in such a beautiful way. But the way we’ve used it, some of that love is about friendship, or being better to yourself. It’s about living in the present, being kinder, understanding how everybody else feels.

We’ve just been blessed with strong pop songs that, when you put them into a story, take on something bigger.

Looking at the soundtrack, were there any songs you tried but quickly realised didn’t work in the narrative?

We’ve got seven albums worth of songs now, so we were conscious about including all the hits. But we’ve also got some brilliant B-sides from back in the day. Some get little mentions - a line or two that fans recognise straight away.

At the end of the first half there’s this big crossover of all our songs. You get one line from one song mashed with another. It blows me away - it still gives me goosebumps.

And there are Easter eggs in the costumes and sets, right? Pop fans love that these days!

I was just about to say - we’ve done loads of little hidden bits because we know the fans love that. It was a real giggle for us too. Look out for clues and nuggets in the set design as it changes. Even behind the set, there are things only super fans will spot.

Costume and wig design leans into the 90s theme - twisted hair, butterfly clips, coloured visor glasses. Some of the dream sequences are so ridiculous but lovable and funny at the same time. It’s a non-serious show, but with a big heart.

The other day I wore butterfly clips without thinking and realised I looked like a five-year-old… but people loved it. That 90s/early 00s nostalgia is everywhere.

Dopamine dressing! People are living their best lives and wearing what makes them happy. We had a lot of that in the 90s. Some of it was quite out there, but fashion, make-up and hairstyles all come back around. We used to say “more is more”. It’s fun, why not?!

Confession… Step One was my first album. Steps was my first concert too, the Christmas Tour. It’s a real core memory for me, as I couldn’t comprehend seeing my favourite pop stars in real life! One of my favourite memories is the Step One VHS, where you all did your own segments.

I know exactly what you’re referring to…

So Claire went off and did…

BOTH: Pasta Alla Clara!

Which I saw she recreated recently… You did a make-up look and it was very shimmery and gorgeous. Faye, where is the 2025 version of that make-up look?! 

TikTokers have been doing this for years! We wanted something fun that everyone could do. It was so much fun, so cute. I’d love to find that VHS again. Many a parent has cursed me over the glitter in the carpet! But again, it’s that dopamine thing. Dressing up, being colourful, because it makes you feel good. Who knows, watch this space…!

If you do, I want credit - I’m joking! With the musical, do you hope Here & Now passes the torch and introduces the music to new audiences?

It’s interesting because on tour we’re always surprised at the ages of people meeting us. People say, “We were six when 5, 6, 7, 8 came out!” 

Our music has been played at kids’ parties, weddings, all sorts. Tragedy at weddings still baffles me but it’s so much fun. I think the musical will definitely bring in new people. Hopefully families, groups of friends, couples, as well as the hardcore fans.

We’ve had so many people tell us our music has helped them - in tough times, coming out, bringing friends together. Some fans now travel as groups because they first met at a Steps concert. If the theatre show can bring people together like that, it’s a win-win.

Pop sometimes gets overlooked. Did you feel that in the 90s?

Yes, and I think it was driven by journalism at the time. But we’re still here. If the public hadn’t loved it, we wouldn’t be 30 years on with a musical of our songs. The narrative was controlled by editors and radio bosses deciding what people “should” like. But the music always wins.

Finally - is there anything in the pipeline for Steps beyond Here & Now?

Well it was quite interesting hearing the first day of rehearsals, and listening to other people sing the songs. I actually got show envy for the first time and I thought “I really need to be singing these songs again!”. 

So all I will say is that we do have a big milestone anniversary coming up and we wouldn’t let the fans down by not doing anything…

That’s a cliffhanger with no information, isn't it?! 

The UK & Ireland tour of Here & Now opens at Aylesbury Waterside Theatre on 29 August 2025 and continues until 16 May 2026 at the Marlowe Theatre, Canterbury.

https://thestepsmusical.com/