Something Rotten is coming to Wakefield, where two struggling playwright brothers try to outshine Shakespeare in a fast-paced musical packed with innuendo.
It’s Wakefield Country Players’ latest production, and its popularity has just about sold out the planned six shows toward the end of August, prompting the addition of a seventh performance.
Production manager Amby Lowe describes it as a modern take on Shakespeare that follows brothers Nick and Nigel Bottom who are trying to outdo the Bard. In desperation, they hire a soothsayer who predicts the next big thing in theatre is a musical, leading them to create a show called Omelette. Shakespeare then goes undercover to steal the brothers’ work and the result is an energetic comedy.
Amby says director Lilly Prestidge has been wanting to stage Something Rotten for years because of its soundtrack and humour.
“It’s aimed at mature people over 13 years because of its adult humour – there are innuendos throughout the show!”
Now, a cast of 19 is rehearsing for the show, with performers travelling from as far as Atawhai and a large crew working behind the scenes.
The shows were selling out so quickly that the production team sought permission from the show’s licensing company to add an extra performance. The picnic theatre production runs at the Wakefield Village Hall from 21 to 29 August, with tables set up for the audience. Tickets are available by emailing bookcountryplayers@gmail.com.
