Hit Broadway musical comedy Something Rotten! will be staged in concert at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane this August.
Theatre-luvvie and comedian Jason Manford (The Wizard of Oz, The Producers) will star as Nick Bottom with further casting to be announced.
Nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best New Musical, the highly anticipated piece is described as a ‘side-splitting and toe-tapping tribute to theatre itself’.
Set in 16th century England, the story follows brothers, Nick and Nigel Bottom, as they struggle to find success in the theatrical world, whilst working in the shadow of rock star playwright William Shakespeare. That is, until they come upon the idea of writing the world’s first musical!
This concert production will be directed by Tim Jackson (Two Strangers (Carry A Cake Across New York)) and the full Broadway score will be be performed by the London Musical Theatre Orchestra, conducted by Freddie Tapner (Love Never Dies).
Something Rotten! is written by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick with music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick.
Something Rotten! was originally scheduled to receive its UK premiere at Birmingham Rep in 2020 in a full scale production directed by Sean Foley however this was postponed due to the covid pandemic.
A bit more trivia – West End favourite Marisha Wallace was appearing in the Broadway production of Something Rotten! when she got that SOS call that the West End needed an alternate Effie White for Dreamgirls at the Savoy Theatre. The Producers kindly let her out of her contract thus beginning her West End journey from Effie White in Dreamgirls, to Becky in Waitress, Motormouth Maybell in Hairspray, Ado Annie in Oklahoma! and Miss Adelaide in Guys & Dolls.
More info on Something Rotten!
Something Rotten! will run on 5 and 6 August 2024 at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane, London.
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