Ncuti Gatwa to Play Christopher Marlowe in 'Born With Teeth'

Two of England's buzziest young actors (and former Sex Education co-stars) are set to square off on stage as two of history's greatest literary titans and contemporary rivals. Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who) and Edward Bluemel (My Lady Jane) will play Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare in Born with Teeth, the story of a series of imagined meetings between the established bad-boy author of Tamberlaine the Great and a then up-and-coming playwright from Stratford Upon Avon.

Written by Liz Duffy Adams, the play is set against the backdrop of paranoia that permeated late sixteenth-century England and features two powerhouse writers who "duel and flirt like their lives depend upon it." (If the initial marketing materials are anything to go by, it certainly seems as though this show is set to lean firmly into the ever-present speculation surrounding the sexuality of both men.) Performances begin in August at London's Wyndham's Theatre, for a strictly limited 11-week run. Word on the street is that the play could see a Broadway transfer if the West End production goes well (i.e., is popular). Playful Productions does have a history of importing buzzy London shows to the Great White Way, including The Audience with Helen Mirren (MobLand) and Frost/Nixon with Frank Langella (The Americans), and Michael Sheen (A Very Royal Scandal).

“I’m so excited to be joining Born with Teeth alongside the amazing Edward Bluemel,” Gatwa said. “Liz Duffy Adams has written an exceptional play that is 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 ever seen before, and I can’t wait for audiences to join us for the ride.”