Jason Manford will take the lead in the first fully-staged UK production of the award-winning Broadway musical comedy Something Rotten! next summer.
After starring in last summer’s award-winning sold-out concert (WhatsOnStage Award for Best Concert Event) presentation of the show at the Theatre Royal, Drury Lane, Manford (Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, The Wizard of Oz) will return as Nick Bottom in the production which will launch at the Manchester Opera House from 16 June to 19 July 2026 ahead of a West End run.
Presented by Broadway and West End producers – Kevin McCollum of Alchemation and Joshua Andrews of JAS Theatricals – the production will be directed and choreographed by the director of the concert, Tim Jackson.
Something Rotten! features a book by Hollywood screenwriters Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell and music and lyrics by Grammy Award-winning songwriters Wayne Kirkpatrick and Karey Kirkpatrick.
Set in 1595, the musical comedy follows the fortunes of brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom as they struggle to make a name for themselves as playwrights in the shadow of William Shakespeare’s ‘rock star’ status.
The show debuted on Broadway in 2015 where it was nominated for ten Tonys with Christian Borle winning the award for Best Featured Actor in a Musical for his performance as Shakespeare.
Confirming the plans for the fully-staged production earlier this year, producers McCollum and Andrews said: “After the success of the Broadway run and American tour and the incredible response to the Drury Lane concerts we are excited to bring the show to the land of Shakespeare!”
The UK premiere concert featured Manford alongside Gary Wilmot (Anything Goes, Wicked) as Nostradamus, Richard Fleeshman (Company, Urinetown) as Shakespeare, Marisha Wallace (Guys & Dolls, Oklahoma!) as Bea, Evelyn Hoskins (Waitress, Spring Awakening) as Portia, Cassius Hackforth (For Tonight, From Here to Eternity) as Nigel Bottom, Steve Furst (Oliver!, Matilda) as Shylock, Ashley Samuels (Hairspray, The Book of Mormon) as Troubadour, Cameron Blakely (Disney’s Newsies, Mrs Doubtfire) as Brother Jeremiah and Jenna Boyd (Come From Away, The Wind in the Willows) as Lady Croydon.
Angela Thomas
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