REVIEW: Something Rotten at Manchester Opera House – The UK Premiere Was Worth The Wait

Jun 22
7 min read

Cast pose around Something Rotten! poster with title and names, promoting a musical comedy in warm stage-like tones.

Something Rotten at Manchester Opera House

On Wednesday 17th June 2026, I headed into Manchester to see Something Rotten at Manchester Opera House.

I'd heard theatre fans talking about this musical for years and had seen countless people hoping it would eventually make its way to the UK. Despite all the excitement surrounding it, I'd somehow managed to avoid finding out too much about the plot beforehand.

Apart from knowing it involved Shakespeare and featured lots of musical theatre references, I went in almost completely blind.

Honestly, I think that was probably the best way to experience it.

A Night At The Theatre

I actually left home much later than I normally would for a theatre trip.

Usually I'm already at the theatre by around 6:30pm, but recently I've been struggling quite a bit with anxiety and, if I'm honest, I've found some of my solo theatre trips harder than usual.

It took me a little longer than normal to convince myself to leave the house and I also didn't particularly want to spend ages standing around on my own before the show started.

I eventually caught the tram into Manchester at 6:35pm, arriving at St Peter's Square at around 6:50pm before making the short walk up to Manchester Opera House.

I arrived at the theatre at 6:58pm, which actually turned out to be perfect timing. I had enough time to take a few photos and videos outside before heading inside.

Being only the second preview performance, there was already a real buzz around the theatre. You could tell there were plenty of musical theatre fans in attendance, many of whom had been waiting years to finally see Something Rotten! arrive in the UK.

Theater facade with Something Rotten! marquee; crowds line up outside under columns and posters for the Broadway musical.

Merchandise

Before taking my seat, I had a look at the merchandise stand to see what was available.

The merchandise on sale at this performance included:

I Hate Shakespeare T-Shirt – £30
Bard T-Shirt – £30
Renaissance Hoodie – £55
Amazing Musical Tote Bag – £20
Wooden Magnet – £9
Bard Keyring – £12
Pin Badge – £9
Bottoms Up Mug – £20

I ended up buying a programme and a wooden magnet as a souvenir from the evening, which came to £17 altogether.

Something rotten Manchester merch - Three mannequins display graphic T-shirts with slogans, including Something Rotten!, Welcome to the Renaissance, and The Bard.

Something rotten Manchester merch - Something Rotten! musical merchandise display with T-shirt, tote bag, keychain, and framed signs on a wooden table.

My Seat At Manchester Opera House

For this performance I was seated in the Circle, Row D, Seat 10.

The seat was slightly off to one side rather than being completely central, but the view was excellent. The rake in the Circle is really good, which meant I could easily see over the person sitting in front of me and had no problems with sightlines throughout the performance.

From this height I also felt like I got a fantastic view of the staging and choreography, particularly during some of the larger ensemble numbers.

The only downside was that the Circle seats are a little more compact than those in the Stalls. Leg room is slightly tighter and the seats are closer together, so when the row is full it can feel a little cramped.

As this was a preview performance, I managed to get a particularly good deal on my ticket. I believe this seat would normally cost around £60, which I still think would offer very good value given the quality of the view.

The performance started at 7:30pm and finished at around 10:10pm.

Act One lasted approximately 80 minutes, followed by a 20-minute interval, with Act Two running for around 60 minutes.

Something rotten Manchester - Theatre stage with a lit curtain reading Something Rotten!, viewed from audience seats in a dark ornate auditorium.

The Story & My Thoughts 🎭

Set in the late 1500s, Something Rotten! follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, two struggling playwrights trying to make a name for themselves in a world completely dominated by William Shakespeare.

While Shakespeare enjoys celebrity status and sells out theatres across London, the Bottom brothers find themselves desperately searching for an idea that will finally bring them success.

When Nick seeks advice from a soothsayer named Nostradamus, he learns that the future of theatre involves something called a musical. Hoping to get ahead of Shakespeare, Nick attempts to discover what the Bard's greatest future masterpiece will be so he can write it first.

Unfortunately, things don't quite go according to plan.

What follows is one of the most ridiculous, chaotic and genuinely funny stories I've seen on stage in a very long time.

Without giving too much away, let's just say eggs become surprisingly important.

From the moment the show began, it was clear this wasn't going to be a traditional musical.

The script is packed with jokes, puns, visual gags and clever references that come so quickly you almost don't have time to recover from one laugh before the next arrives.

There were several moments throughout the evening where audience laughter completely drowned out the following line because people were still reacting to the previous joke.

What impressed me most was how well the humour worked for a British audience.

Although the show originally premiered on Broadway, it feels perfectly suited to UK audiences. The comedy has a wonderfully silly, almost pantomime-style energy at times while still managing to be incredibly clever.

The show is also a complete love letter to musical theatre.

References to famous musicals are woven throughout the entire production and theatre fans will undoubtedly spot far more than I managed during a single viewing. However, what I really appreciated was that you don't need to understand every reference to enjoy yourself.

Even if you've never seen another musical before, the story and characters are funny enough to stand on their own.

In fact, I honestly can't remember the last time I laughed this much at a musical.

Woman poses with a Something Rotten! brochure before a We ♥ Musicals backdrop covered in repeated show logos.

The Music, Staging & Performances 🎶

Musically, Something Rotten! is an absolute joy.

The score has a classic Broadway feel, packed with memorable melodies, huge ensemble numbers and songs that stay in your head long after the curtain comes down.

The standout number for me was undoubtedly A Musical.

The song sees Nostradamus attempting to explain the concept of musicals to a thoroughly confused Nick Bottom and it quickly becomes one of the funniest sequences I've ever seen in a theatre.

Every time I thought the number had reached its peak, another joke arrived and somehow made it even funnier.

I also loved Hard To Be The Bard, which gives Shakespeare an opportunity to showcase his enormous ego, while the increasingly ridiculous Omelette storyline builds towards some of the funniest scenes of the entire evening.

Visually, the production looks fantastic. The detailed Elizabethan set creates a lively world packed with staircases, balconies and multiple levels, while the costumes perfectly capture the period setting while still allowing the comedy to shine through.

The choreography is equally impressive, particularly during the larger ensemble numbers which regularly earned applause before they had even finished.

This cast is packed with talent from top to bottom.

Jason Manford is perfectly cast as Nick Bottom. The role suits his natural comedy style and he brings a warmth and likeability to the character that makes it impossible not to root for him.

Cassius Hackforth is excellent as Nigel Bottom, bringing heart and sincerity to a character who could easily get lost amongst the larger personalities around him.

Marisha Wallace is, as expected, vocally sensational as Bea. However, what surprised me most was just how funny she was. She gets some huge laughs throughout the evening while delivering powerhouse vocals with apparent ease.

Cory English is fantastic as Nostradamus. His comic timing is impeccable and some of the biggest laughs of the evening came during his scenes. He fully embraces the absurdity of the role and clearly relishes every moment on stage.

For me though, the standout performance of the night came from Richard Fleeshman as Shakespeare.

His Shakespeare is arrogant, flamboyant, self-obsessed and utterly hilarious. Every entrance felt like an event and he commanded attention whenever he stepped onto the stage.

It's one of those performances where you can tell the actor is having an incredible time, and that enjoyment transfers directly to the audience.

Something rotten Manchester -Cast bows on a Tudor-style stage, with dancers in yellow feather costumes on stairs and a cheering ensemble in front.

Final Thoughts

Something Rotten! is clever without being pretentious, packed with references without feeling inaccessible and consistently funny from start to finish.

Whether you're a lifelong theatre fan or simply looking for a fun night out, there's a very good chance you'll find something to enjoy here.

It's gloriously silly, wonderfully self-aware and completely embraces the ridiculousness of its own premise.

By the time the curtain came down, I completely understood why so many theatre fans have spent years hoping for a UK production.

I left Manchester Opera House with a huge smile on my face and found myself still thinking about some of the jokes on the journey home.

It's one of those shows that reminds you just how much fun live theatre can be when it doesn't take itself too seriously.

I would happily book to see it again.

A hilarious love letter to musical theatre that had me laughing harder than any show I've seen in years.

More Information

Something Rotten! is playing at Manchester Opera House until Sunday 19th July 2026.

For tickets and show information, visit the official Something Rotten! website.

If you'd like to read my more theatre-focused review, you can also head over to All About Theatre.

🎥 Watch My Theatre Trip in Weekly Vlog #457

If you’d like to see what I got up to during my trip to see Something Rotten! you can watch it in Weekly Vlog #457. My trip to the show begins at 11:09 in the video, although the vlog also includes some other family moments from our week.

https://youtu.be/gILUOVb-u6A