Ncuti Gatwa will play Christopher Marlowe and Edward Bluemel will be William Shakespeare in Liz Duffy Adams’ new play Born With Teeth which will have an 11-week season in London.
Gatwa was unveiled as the 15th Doctor Who in the BBC TV series in 2023. The following year, he made his National Theatre debut as Algernon Moncrieff in Oscar Wilde’s The Importance of Being Earnest.
He said, “Liz Duffy Adams has written an exceptional play that’s smart, dark, sexy, sharp and funny. There’s a lot to get one’s teeth into. This is like no version of Shakespeare and Marlowe that I’ve seen before.”
Bluemel played Michael Brown in Terence Rattigan’s Love in Idleness at the Apollo Theatre in 2017 and Paddy in Vicky Jones’ Touch at Soho Theatre in the same year.
He commented, “to be stepping into the shoes of a young William Shakespeare is a huge thrill for any actor, and I can’t wait to get started. When I read Liz Duffy Adams’ script, I was instantly drawn into the high-stakes world of these two rival playwrights and the incredible, creative chemistry they share. There’s a real freshness and vitality to Liz’s writing that speaks directly to our world, and I can’t wait for West End audiences to experience it for the first time.”
Born With Teeth is set in 1591, a dangerous time for artists because the country is full of conspiracy and paranoia. In the backroom of a pub, writing sensations Kit Marlowe and Will Shakespeare are forced together in a creative union. They sharpen their pens and let their genius fly.
Playful Productions, the Royal Shakespeare Company and Elizabeth Williams will produce the play, which will mark the directorial debut for the RSC of its co-artistic director Daniel Evans. Design is by Joanna Scotcher and lighting design by Neil Austin. Casting director is Charlotte Sutton.
Evans and co-artistic director Tamara Harvey said, “as our seventh production to be presented in London in 2025, we look forward to sharing more of the RSC’s work with audiences in the capital and are thrilled that two such extraordinary actors as Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel will be joining us on that journey this summer.”
Born With Teeth will run at Wyndham's Theatre from Wednesday 13 August until Saturday 1 November. Press night will be Tuesday 2 September.