Nick Bottom



Nicholas "Nick" Bottom is the main protagonist of the show. He is a failing writer trying to compete against Shakespeare, and he runs a theater troupe with his brother Nigel. He is married to Bea.

Act One
While rehearing for their upcoming play, Richard II, Lord Clapham, their patron, announces that Shakespeare is writing Richard II. Nick is enraged, because Shakespeare has already written Richard III, and the idea of going backwards seems absurd to him. He rants to Nigel and the rest of the troupe about his distaste for the bard ("God I Hate Shakespeare"). Lord Clapham leaves, telling the brothers he is stopping their funds unless they have another play by the next morning, but Nick assures the troupe that he will sort out their problems by the next day.

The brothers return to their house, and outside Nick encounters Shylock the Jew. Shylock expresses an interest in theater and a desire to fund the troupe, but Nick rejects him, as it is illegal to employ a Jew. He enters his house to find Nigel and Bea. Bea talks to him about the events of her day, and Nick tries to open their money box. Bea stops him, because they are saving up for a better life. Bea suggests that she should join Nick's acting troupe, but he refuses her, because women aren't allowed to act. When she finds out their play is cancelled, she asserts that she can help Nick with his troubles ("Right Hand Man"), and leaves with a bow an arrow. Nick professes his failure as a husband, and remind Nigel they need to have a new play for tomorrow. When Nigel panics, Nick consoles him. When Nigel is asleep, Nick reveals the real reason he dislikes Shakespeare - the bard makes him feel insecure about himself ("God I Hate Shakespeare (Reprise)"). He decides to take some money from the money box to see a soothsayer, and find a way to beat Shakespeare. He finds Thomas Nostradamus, and asks him what the next big thing in theater will be. Nostradamus says it will be "A musical", a play where the actors start singing out of nowhere. Nick thinks it's ridiculous at first, but quickly warms up to the idea ("A Musical").

Nick meets Nigel on the street. Nigel has just met Portia, a Puritan and the son of Brother Jeremiah, and tells Nick he has fallen in love with her. When the Puritans leave, Nick tells Nigel what the soothsayer said, but pretends it was his own idea. Nigel wants to do "The Brothers from Cornwall", the story of the two brothers' lives, but Nick vetoes saying it has to be bigger, and decides to do a play about the Black Death. The troupe performs a song for Lord Clapham (”The Black Death”), who is disgusted and deserts the troupe.

Later, Nick attends the after-party of one of Shakespeare's plays, with Shylock in tow, to find Nigel with Shakespeare, and a very drunk Portia. He chastises Shakespeare for trying to steal Nigel's ideas, as well as reprimanding Nigel for his naiveté. Brother Jeremiah then runs in to find a drunk Portia and once again admonishes Nigel. Enraged, Nick goes back to Nostradamus with what he has left of the money he stole from the Money Box. He asks Nostradamus what Shakespeare's new hit is going to be. Nostradamus sees Hamlet but misinterprets it as "Omelette", among other mistakes (such as the Prince eating a danish pastry rather than being a Danish prince). Nick gets excited at the possibilities of success and dreams of a future in which crowds cheer for him and Shakespeare bows down to him ("Bottom's Gonna Be on Top").

Act Two
The troupe is rehearsing Omelette: The Musical ("It's Eggs!"). Shylock is now their investor, but Nick explains to Nigel that they cannot find a title that would make his role legal. When some of the actors become suspicious of Nostradamus and why he is at their theater, Nick lies and says that Nostradamus is an actor. "Toby Belch" (Shakespeare in disguise) arrives at the theater, and is hired for the company.

When Nigel comes to Nick with his new play (Revealed to be Hamlet), they get into a huge argument ("To Thine Own Self"). Nigel leaves the troupe, and Nick returns to working on Omelette alone. He has his own doubts about the musical, but dismisses them once he learns that the town lined up all the way around the theater for tickets. He and the troupe prepare for the show ("Something Rotten!"). Once the audience arrives, they perform a bombastic dance number that has many references to modern-day musicals (such as The Lion King and The Phantom of the Opera) ("Make an Omelette"). Towards the end of the number, Shakespeare reveals himself and sues the brothers. The troupe and Nigel find out that Nostradamus is a soothsayer, and are horrified.

In court, Shylock, Nick, Nigel, and Nostradamus are on trial and Nick is sentenced to beheading. Bea enters, disguised as a lawyer, and makes Nick confess that he stole from the Money Box, and tells the judge that beheading him would be redundant because he has already lost his head. Nick apologizes to Bea and Nigel ("To Thine Own Self (Reprise)"). Bea has made a deal with Shakespeare that they will be exiled to America. She says that they always wanted a new country house and they are getting a house in a new country. Portia then arrives, having escaped the tower. She renounces her father's ideals and joins the Bottoms, Shylock, and Nostradamus in exile.

They arrive in America and tell the audience of the new opportunities in the New World ("Finale"). Nick hears about the opening of Shakespeare's new masterpiece, Hamlet.

Song Appearances
God, I Hate Shakespeare (major)

Right Hand Man (minor)

God, I Hate Shakespeare (reprise) [major]

A Musical (major)

Bottom's Gonna Be On Top (major)

Its Eggs (major)

We See the Light (minor)

To Thine Own Self (major)

Something Rotten!/Make An Omelette (major)

To Thine Own Self (Reprise) [major]

Finale (major)

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Trivia

 * Nick is based on a character of the same name, from A Midsummer Night's Dream.