Review of ‘Something Rotten In Concert’: “No eggs short of for this ‘Omelet’”

The 2015 Broadway musical celebrates its West End debut through a two-day-only concert playing at the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Guillermo Nazara shares his views on the show, to let us know if this Shakespeare-themed musical suits the action to the word.

“I find it hard to believe that people would actually pay to see something like this”. I wonder if producers felt just as show’s protagonist Nick Bottom (you wish I had spelled his name wrong) when Karey and Wayne Kirkpatrick first pitched them the idea of writing a musical set in the Elizabethan era, with its antagonist being no one but William (Exeunt – you’ll get it when you see it) Shakespeare himself. Then again, if someone dared to tamper with the two lovers from Verona and turned them into a pop-based festival of camp (not that this one differs too much in style), I guess that anything can happen. And believe me, it has.

Enter Something Rotten! (please don’t make it sound any dirtier than it already does… or you shall feel the weight of my rod!), the 2015 Broadway musical celebrating its West End debut in a two-day-only concert rendition amidst the stateliness of the Theatre Royal Drury Lane. Featuring a star-studded cast led by Jason Manford and Cassius Hackforth as the Bottom Brothers (I’m really struggling to keep a straight face while I’m writing this – well, to keep anything straight, that is…), the piece is a blazing spectacle of uproarious absurdity, tantalizing entertainment and, ultimately, utmost fun.

Flaunting superb wit in its writing (delivered, at the same time, with flawless timing), this extremely accomplished effort boasts absolute instinct and understanding of the genre. With a repertoire filled with incredibly memorable songs (cleverly mixing a contemporary vibe -you’ll see our dear Bard turned into some sort of Ricky Martin 16th-century doppelganger- with subtly period-evocative orchestrations), all of the show’s elements function with extraordinary ease – resulting in a perfectly flowed, generally amusing and, in spite of its bombastic stupidity, fairly intelligent creation.

“Good rhymes make me tingle”, wiggles young Bottom’s love affair (I feel as if I’m been set up for that – wouldn’t say walked right into it because… you know…). Whatever the situation, that line mirrors the same sensation anyone would have experienced through the Kirkpatrick duo’s lyrics – standing as possibly one of the greatest and strongest components of the entire piece. They’re quick, perceptive and delightfully satirical; able to constantly trigger no less than a smile (and way often, a loud chuckle) through its surprising originality and, above all, mordant irony – leaving some hope for the return of good word writing, in an era where verses have become the big forsaken ones in mostly every new work that comes to town.

The praise continues through its, all in all, fantastic company – playing their roles with galvanizing flair and infatuating rapport. Boasting exceptional vocals, and (apart from some minor details) untainted dancing skills, the cast gives a truly ovation-worthy performance from start to finish. Among them, both Cassius Hackforth and Jason Manford bring the house down through their captivating and highly spirited performances as the lead characters. Yet, the greatest mention goes, in this case, to Richard Fleeshman as William Shakespeare – exposing an unquestionable aptitude for showmanship through his exceedingly gripping interpretation of the sassy diva (their approach, not mine…).

A joyous ride full of excitement, humuour and, on top of it, life, Something Rotten makes a genuine smash through its Omelette-themed fictional musical (they had to compete against the genius from Stratford some way… at least, they tried). With a rather competent production, where the only glitch comes in form its not-too-intricate lighting, the montage excels in every other aspect, and will end up as triumph even for those attending under the yolk of plot prejudice. It’s pure onstage bliss, and despite its topic, it won’t walk on eggshells while attempting to make you laugh – though surely you’ll hear some cracks, anyhow.

All pictures credit to Pamela Raith.

Something Rotten plays at London’s Theatre Royal Drury Lane until 6 August. Tickets are available on the following link.

By Guillermo Nazara