The cast of “Something Rotten” rehearses for their upcoming show. Pictured from left to right are: Emma Richardson, Terry Colf, Kelsey Stearns, Gigi Safavizadeh, DJ Smith, Dan Joseph, Kerrie Monte, Zac Calderon, Braderick Morrison, Charles Ackerman. Hidden from view: Miranda Hunter and Erin Smith. Other cast members: Will Drew, Ellie Hunter, Scott Douglas, Robert Green, Elizabeth Pierce, Deborah Pierce, Jessica Richardson, John Jackson, Terri Jackson, and Mike McCormack. “Something Rotten” is directed by Marty Kuhn; music direction by Cameron Kinnear; and choreography by Kaitlyn Jackson. (Photo submitted by the Norwich Theater Company)

NORWICH - The Norwich Theater Company is set to take the stage with its rendition of the musical farce “Something Rotten,” marking the first production of the local thespian group since COVID restrictions were lifted.

Curtain time is 7 p.m. Friday and Saturday, July 23-24, at the Martin W. Kappel Theater, 27 W. Main St. in Norwich. Tickets for a 2 p.m. Sunday matinee are also available.

“Something Rotten” tells the story of the Bottom brothers, two playwright underdogs who are out to produce the first musical during the theater renaissance of the 1590s. Competing with heavy-hitting entertainers of the time, the brothers do their best to stay ahead of the theatrical curve in an evolving world of acting, singing, dancing, and story telling.

Written in modern-day English, “Something Rotten” is a side splitting “PG-13” twist on an era of theater dominated by canonical playwrights like Middleton, Webster, and Shakespeare.