Full Cast Announced for UK Premiere of Something Rotten!

The highly anticipated UK premiere of the award-winning comedy musical Something Rotten! heads to Manchester Opera House this summer, ahead of a West End run.

As previously announced, the side-splitting mash-up of song, dance and Elizabethan absurdity that tells the story behind the creation of the world’s very first musical will star comedy, TV and musical theatre icon Jason Manford (Sweeney Todd) as Nick Bottom, star of stage and screen Richard Fleeshman (Ghost the Musical) as William Shakespeare, and Actress and singer Marisha Wallace (Guys and Dolls) as Bea.

Joining them will be Cory English (Back to the Future the Musical) as Nostradamus, Cassius Hackforth as Nigel Bottom, Carla Dixon-Hernandez (Mrs Doubtfire the Musical) as Portia, Gareth Davies as Shylock, Chad Saint Louis (Ghost the Musical) as Troubadour, Paul Ryan as Brother Jeremiah and Elliotte Williams-N’Dure as Lady C with Andrew Davison, Dylan Collymore, Jordan Cambridge-Taylor, Richard James-Neale and Paul Kemble as Troupe.

The cast is completed by Stephanie Costi, Robert Donnelly, Zac Frieze, Samuel How, Bailey Johnson, Jessica Keable, Rhys Lambert, Sara Morley, Indiya Payne, Hannah Petley, and Rina Punwani.

This new production, which follows the acclaimed 2023 WhatsOnStage Award-winning concert version, is directed and choreographed by Tim Jackson. The musical follows Nick and Nigel Bottom, two struggling playwright brothers who are desperate to outshine “The Bard”, or otherwise known as Shakespeare. In his quest to uncover a hit, Nick hires a shaky soothsayer to predict the future of theatre, leading them to create the world’s first musical.

The original Broadway production, created by Wayne Kirkpatrick, Karey Kirkpatrick and John O’Farrell, received 10 Tony Award nominations.

Something Rotten! will play at the Manchester Opera House from 16 June to 19 July 2026.