Full cast announced for Something Rotten! at Manchester Opera House

The complete cast has been revealed for the UK premiere of Something Rotten! at the Manchester Opera House, led by a star-studded company including Jason Manford, Richard Fleeshman and Marisha Wallace.

Producers have unveiled the full cast for the UK premiere of Something Rotten! ahead of its run at the Manchester Opera House from June 2026, confirming a major musical theatre line-up for the long-awaited staging.

Leading the company is Jason Manford as Nick Bottom, joined by Richard Fleeshman as the flamboyant William Shakespeare. Completing the principal trio is Marisha Wallace, who takes on the role of Bea, bringing her Broadway experience with the show to its first fully staged UK production.

The wider cast for the production includes additional performers announced in stages, forming a large ensemble to support the story of the Bottom brothers and their chaotic quest to outshine Shakespeare by creating the world’s first musical. Further casting announcements have continued to expand the company in recent weeks, highlighting the scale of the production and its ensemble-driven energy.

The leads are joined by Cory English as Nostradamus, Cassius Hackforth as Nigel Bottom, Carla Dixon-Hernandez as Portia, Gareth Davies as Shylock, Chad Saint Louis as Troubadour, Paul Ryan as Brother Jeremiah and Elliotte Williams-N’Dure as Lady C with Andrew Davison, Dylan Collymore, Jordan Cambridge-Taylor, Richard James-Neale and Paul Kemble as Troupe. The cast is 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.

Something Rotten! features a book by John O’Farrell and Karey Kirkpatrick, with music and lyrics by Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick, and will be directed and choreographed by Tim Jackson. The show is set in the 1590s and follows playwright brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom as they attempt to compete with the rockstar success of William Shakespeare.

The Manchester run marks the musical’s fully staged UK premiere following a successful concert version in London, with the production expected to transfer to the West End after its initial engagement.

Running from 16 June to 19 July 2026, Something Rotten! is set to be one of the standout musical theatre events of the year, combining a high-profile cast with one of Broadway’s most irreverent and crowd-pleasing scores.