No longer booking
  • Venue Opera House, Manchester
  • Performance dates Booking to 19 July 2026

Book tickets for Something Rotten! at Manchester Opera House — the UK premiere of the Broadway comedy sensation, starring Jason Manford, playing June to July 2026, ahead of a West End run.

Something Rotten!: the UK premiere

Nominated for 10 Tony Awards, including Best New Musical, Something Rotten! is a side-splitting mash-up of sixteenth-century Shakespeare and twenty-first-century musical theatre — a hilarious, toe-tapping tribute to theatre itself. If musicals are the food of love, this is an all-you-can-eat buffet. The UK premiere runs at Manchester Opera House from 16 June to 19 July 2026, before its West End transfer.

A star-studded cast

Something Rotten! in Manchester features an all-star cast including:

  • Actor and comedian Jason Manford (The Wizard of Oz, The Producers) as Nick Bottom
  • Richard Fleeshman (Coronation Street, Riot Women) as William Shakespeare
  • Marisha Wallace (Cabaret, Waitress, Guys & Dolls) as Bea

Book Something Rotten! tickets

With a limited run before a West End transfer, we recommend booking early to secure your preferred dates for this landmark UK premiere.

Something Rotten! Manchester. Marisha Wallace, Jason Manford, Richard Fleeshman. Photo via production

Marisha Wallace, Jason Manford, Richard Fleeshman

Theatre in the 1590s will never be the same.
Nick and Nigel Bottom are brothers, playwrights, and thoroughly convinced they’re destined for greatness. Their challenge? Will Shakespeare — the Renaissance’s original rockstar, and the most insufferable man alive.

Desperate for a breakthrough, Nick visits a soothsayer, who offers him a glimpse of something extraordinary — a wild new form of theatre that combines singing, dancing, and acting all at once. Something that doesn’t even have a name yet.

Armed with wild ambition, the Bottom Brothers set out to create the world’s first musical. Something is bound to go hilariously awry.

Something Rotten! is a riotous love letter to musical theatre, crammed with Broadway references, show-stopping set pieces and one of the funniest books ever written for the stage. It is suitable for audiences of all ages.

When is Something Rotten! set? Something Rotten! is set in London in the 1590s during the reign of Elizabeth I, at the height of the Elizabethan theatre boom — when Shakespeare was the biggest name in town, and the Bottom Brothers were very much not.

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Performance Information

Check booking calendar for full details

Stars and Creatives

Marisha Wallace
Marisha Wallace
Jason Manford
Jason Manford
Richard Fleeshman
Richard Fleeshman

Who is in the cast of Something Rotten! - Manchester?

Starring:

  • Nick Bottom: Jason Manford
  • William Shakespeare: Richard Fleeshman
  • Bea: Marisha Wallace
  • Nostradamus: Cory English
  • Nigel Bottom: Cassius Hackforth
  • Portia: Carla Dixon-Hernandez
  • Shylock: Gareth Davies
  • Troubadour: Chad Saint Louis
  • Brother Jeremiah: Paul Ryan
  • Lady C: Elliotte Williams-N’Dure
  • The Troupe: Andrew Davison, Dylan Collymore, Jordan Cambridge-Taylor, Richard James-Neale, Paul Kemble
  • Company 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

Who are the creative team of Something Rotten! - Manchester?

  • Book: John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick
  • Music and lyrics: Karey Kirkpatrick and Wayne Kirkpatrick
  • Director and choreographer: Tim Jackson
  • Set Designer: Colin Richmond
  • Costume Designer: Rebecca Brower
  • Lighting Designer: Howard Hudson
  • Audio Production & Sounder Designer: Paul Gatehouse
  • Co-choreographer: Claira Vaughan
  • Musical Supervisor: Nick Finlow
  • Hair, Wigs and Make Up Designer: Carole Hancock
  • Casting: Jill Green Casting
  • Production Management: Patrick Molony and Chris Easton
  • Producers: Kevin McCollum (Alchemation) and Joshua Andrews (JAS Theatricals)

Venue Information

Opera House , 3 Quay Street, Manchester, M3 3HP

Directions

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Frequently Asked Questions

Something Rotten! - Manchester is playing at the Opera House in Manchester
Yes, Something Rotten! - Manchester has matinee performances on the following days: Thursday, Saturday, Sunday
Something Rotten! follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, two struggling playwrights in 1590s London who are desperate to outshine their rival William Shakespeare. When a soothsayer reveals the future of theatre — singing, dancing and acting all at once — they set out to create the world's first musical. It is a comedy about ambition, creativity and the enduring magic of putting on a show.
Something Rotten! is set in London in the 1590s, during the Elizabethan era, when Shakespeare was at the height of his fame, and the Bottom Brothers were very much in his shadow.
Something Rotten! is currently playing at Manchester Opera House as its UK premiere engagement, with a West End run to follow. Check back for further tour and London dates as they are announced.
The UK premiere stars Jason Manford as Nick Bottom and Richard Fleeshman as William Shakespeare. Further cast announcements will be made—check the booking calendar for the latest updates.
The running time for the UK production has not yet been confirmed. The Broadway production ran approximately 2 hours and 30 minutes, including an interval, which gives a useful guide — please check the booking calendar for confirmed performance times once announced.
No, sorry, Something Rotten! - Manchester has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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