Bea Bottom

Character Summary[]

Bea is married to Nick. She lives with him and Nigel, and is saving up money for a better life. She's shown to be a headstrong character, one who cares a lot about her family. She often asks Nick if he needs help, with him often rejecting it because he believes she doesn't need to work because he can take care of it, which frustrates her often.

Story[]

Act One[]

Left: Nick Bottom, Right: Bea Bottom. — Maggie Lakis as Bea Bottom and Rob McClure as Nick Bottom (*Photo from Something Rotten! Production*).

Nick and Nigel return to their house to find Bea. She tells them the events of her day and how she acquired their dinner as she serves it. When Nick tries to open the Money Box, Bea smacks his hand away. Bea tells him how she could help them out, but Nick is ambivalent ("Right Hand Man"). Despite Nick's arguments, Bea goes out to do jobs that Nick claims are for men.

Nick runs into her as she's working - she's disguised herself as a man, and has gotten a job cleaning up bear feces. He complains about this, but she brushes him off and leaves. Later they meet again as she's taking down Shakespeare's stage after his show ("Will Power"). Nick tries and fails to do her work for her, but she gets dizzy and sits down. Nick is worried she has the plague but she explains the real reason she's sick - she's pregnant. The two embrace, and Bea agrees to go home instead of continuing to work.

She briefly shows up in Nick's fantasy ("Bottom's Gonna be on Top"). She's pushing a cart with a baby in it, and a cardboard cutout of a house is shown when she appears.

Act Two[]

Bea encounters Nigel after he has left the troupe. She listens as he explains his troubles, and convinces him to return to the troupe ("Right Hand Man (Reprise)").

After Omelette is performed, she confronts Nick about what he did with their savings. When he doesn't answer, she leaves, disappointed.

When Nick and the others are about to be tried in court, Bea appears dressed as an elderly man, claiming to be their lawyer. She enters a plea of temporary insanity. Nick apologizes for his actions ("To Thine Own Self (Reprise)"), and Bea calls Shakespeare to the stand. He persuades the Judge not to execute the defendants, but instead to exile them. The cast sing about their new life ("Finale").

Song Appearances[]

Gallery[]

Trivia[]

Bea may be based on a Beatrice, a character from Much Ado About Nothing.
Portia and Bea both have a song that was cut out in the touring productions of the show. The song's name is Lovely Love, and it depicts how Portia and Bea both fell in love with their respective love interests.