NEWS - RICHARD FLEESHMAN JOINS JASON MANFORD IN SOMETHING ROTTEN UK PREMIERE AT MANCHESTER OPERA HOUSE 2026

Richard Fleeshman to Play Shakespeare in Something Rotten UK Premiere at Manchester Opera House

Acclaimed stage and screen star Richard Fleeshman has been confirmed to join the cast of the award-winning comedy musical Something Rotten! for its highly anticipated UK premiere at the Manchester Opera House from 16 June to 19 July 2026, ahead of a West End run. This Something Rotten UK premiere marks the first full-scale production of the show in the UK, and promises audiences a riotous blend of song, dance, and Elizabethan humour.

Fleeshman, whose stage credits include Company, Ghost the Musical, and Legally Blonde The Musical, as well as screen appearances in Netflix’s The Sandman and ITV’s Coronation Street, will play the role of William Shakespeare. He joins previously announced comedy and musical theatre icon Jason Manford, making this Something Rotten UK premiere a must-see event for theatre fans.

“I’m absolutely thrilled to be joining the cast of Something Rotten! This show is very special and absolutely riotous. I can’t wait to bring this larger-than-life rock star version of the Bard to the stage,” said Fleeshman.

About Something Rotten!

Set in the 1590s, Something Rotten! follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom, who are desperate to write a hit play but stuck in the shadow of the pompous Renaissance superstar, Will Shakespeare. When a quirky soothsayer foretells a future filled with acting, singing, and dancing all at the same time, the Bottom brothers set out to create the first-ever musical. This hilarious story is at the heart of the Something Rotten UK premiere, celebrating the origins of musical theatre.

Created by the award-winning team behind Mrs. Doubtfire: The Musical—Grammy-winning songwriter Wayne Kirkpatrick, screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick, and bestselling author John O’Farrell—Something Rotten! received 10 Tony Award nominations on Broadway. The 2026 UK production follows the acclaimed 2023 WhatsOnStage Award-winning concert version and is directed and choreographed by Tim Jackson.

Tickets for the Something Rotten UK premiere go on sale from Wednesday 5 November 2025 via somethingrottenthemusical.com.

Stay connected with the show on social media:

• TikTok: @rottenmusicaluk

• Twitter: @rottenmusicaluk

• Instagram: @rottenmusicalUK