NEWS: JASON MANFORD TO STAR IN THE UK PREMIERE OF AWARD-WINNING COMEDY MUSICAL SOMETHING ROTTEN!
- Sarah Monaghan
- 4 hours ago
- 2 min read
The hilarious Broadway smash Something Rotten hits the Manchester Opera House next summer before heading to the West End!
Comedy favourite, TV personality, and stage star Jason Manford is set to make a triumphant return to musical theatre next summer, donning pantaloons and Elizabethan flair in the UK premiere of the award-winning Broadway comedy musical Something Rotten!
The show will debut at the Manchester Opera House from 16 June to 19 July 2026, before transferring to London’s West End.
About the Show
Set in the “original 1590s”, Something Rotten! is a gloriously funny mash-up of song, dance, and Shakespearean mischief, telling the story behind the creation of the world’s very first musical.
Brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom are struggling playwrights living in the shadow of Renaissance rockstar William Shakespeare. When a wacky soothsayer predicts a strange future for theatre — where actors sing and dance at the same time — the Bottom brothers decide to take a wild leap into the unknown and create a brand-new form of entertainment: A Musical!
Expect big laughs, bold choreography, dazzling costumes, and plenty of Elizabethan absurdity as this hit show brings Broadway sparkle to British soil.
Cast and Creative Team
On stage, Jason Manford has built an impressive musical theatre résumé, having starred in productions including Sweeney Todd, The Producers, Guys and Dolls, Chitty Chitty Bang Bang, Curtains, and The Wizard of Oz. His return to comedy-musical territory in Something Rotten! promises to be a highlight of the 2026 theatre season.
The show is created by the powerhouse team behind Mrs. Doubtfire: The Musical:
Wayne Kirkpatrick (Grammy-winning songwriter – Change the World)
Karey Kirkpatrick (screenwriter – Chicken Run, Over the Hedge)
John O’Farrell (Spitting Image, Have I Got News for You)
Directed by Tim Jackson (Merrily We Roll Along, Two Strangers Carry a Cake Across New York), this new production follows the acclaimed 2023 WhatsOnStage Award-winning concert version.
Presented by Broadway and West End producers Kevin McCollum (Alchemation) and Joshua Andrews (JAS Theatricals), Something Rotten! is licensed by Music Theatre International and supported by the Manchester Gets it First initiative, ensuring Manchester audiences are the first to see this exciting UK premiere.
Tickets and Information
🎟 General On Sale: Wednesday 5 November 2025, from 10am
👉 Visit: somethingrottenthemusical.com
Follow the show on social media for exclusive updates and behind-the-scenes fun:
TikTok: @rottenmusicaluk
Instagram: @rottenmusicalUK
Twitter/X: @rottenmusicaluk
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