It’s playing at the Manchester Opera House next year
Rachael Davis Features Writer
07:53, 27 Dec 2025
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The musical will be heading to Manchester from June 2026.(Image: ATG Tickets)
There’s nothing better to lift spirits than a great comedy show, and luckily there’s a funny play coming next year. Chock-full of homages to the greats of Broadway, this play is fast approaching the Opera House Manchester.
Shoppers can snag tickets for Something Rotten! for as little as £15 at the moment. It’s live from Tuesday 16th June to Sunday 19th of July in 2026, with Tuesday being the opening night for the play.
Tickets for all dates can be found here.
The story follows two brothers trying to write the world’s first musical in 1590, following William Shakespeare’s shadow, with plenty of disagreements and quirky tangents to occur before their opening night. It’s headed by Jason Manford, directed by Tim Jackson and presented by Tony Award-winning Broadway and West End producers Kevin McCollum and Joshua Andrews.
The Something Rotten! tickets are available from ATG Tickets
Having received 10 Tony Award nominations, this staged production sees Jason Manford’s return to the stage
It’s written by screenwriter Karey Kirkpatrick, who shoppers may know from Chicken Run, Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy and James and the Giant Peach. Plus best-selling author and comedy writer John O’Farrell from Spitting Image and Have I got News For You.
Promising ‘spectacular fun for audience members of all ages’, reviews say the play incorporates a healthy mix of hilarious modern references and jokes in its Renaissance setting to make for a highly entertaining blend of new and old. Having received 10 Tony Award nominations, this staged production sees Jason Manford’s return to stage, which is almost certain to be a great night out.
As an alternative, shoppers could look at The Motown Live Show for Two from Virgin Experience Days, currently priced at £84. With a night of live music inspired by the Motown sound from 1960s Detroit, there’ll be classics from Diana Ross and the Supremes to Marvin Gaye, with five different locations across the UK, and Virgin recommends booking at least four weeks prior.
The Opera House in Manchester is a popular venue for theatre lovers (Image: ATG Tickets)
Buyers could also check out Wowcher’s Batman (1989) In Concert Performed By A Live Orchestra, currently priced at £16, down from £40. Featuring a full screening of the iconic 1989 Batman starring Michael Keaton and Jack Nicholson, the legendary score is brought to life with a 68-piece professional symphony orchestra.
Back to ATG Tickets’ offerings, shoppers writing on Trustpilot had great experiences with the shows they booked. One shopper said: “I use ATG at least eight times a year to see all the shows etc., and so far I have had no bad experience in 20-plus years.”
Another shopper, writing on show-score.com about the New York showing of Something Rotten, added: “I loved this so much I saw it twice! Funny, original, GREAT songs, fantastic acting, singing and dancing.
“Clever Broadway musical references.” A third, also writing on show-score, loved the show.
Comedy, TV and musical theatre icon Jason Manford is playing the main character in the show (Image: Westend Theatre)
They added: “See it if you LOVE musicals. This show is a celebration of musical theatre.
“You’ll laugh and laugh and laugh.” They added that for those who aren’t familiar with musicals may not be the ideal demographic.
Other shoppers left feedback, however. Writing on Trustpilot about a different show, one found long queues at their venue.
They said: “Excellent venue and superb show, doors somewhat late to gain entry and long queues at the bar but otherwise a great experience.” Another found the theatre goers in their show weren’t ideal, with some disruption occurring.
They added: “The venue was beautiful, and the show itself was good. The queue for the bar was incredibly long, but bar staff were great and prices weren’t awful either… but the crowd control was not overly great.”
Tickets for Something Rotten! can be found at ATG Tickets.