It’s 1591, and rivals William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe meet in the back room of a pub and form a creative union as they try to navigate the dangers and conspiracies of Elizabethan London. Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who, Sex Education) and Edward Bluemel (Killing Eve, My Lady Jane) star in Liz Duffy Adams ‘s wickedly witty and thrilling reimagining of the two playwrights’ relationship in this brand-new play at Wyndham’s Theatre, directed by Daniel Evans (American Buffalo, South Pacific).

Why You Should Watch Born With Teeth
An incomparable cast – Doctor Who’s Ncuti Gatwa and My Lady Jane’s Edward Bluemel play Marlowe and Shakespeare, bringing sizzling chemistry and quick-witted banter to an iconic literary relationship that’s equal parts combative and flirtatious.
If you enjoy the works of Shakespeare, Marlowe, and other Elizabethan playwrights, you’ll love this take on these two authors. And if you’re less familiar with their works, you’ll likely find yourself immersed in the dark and thrilling world of 16th-century London theater.
American playwright Liz Duffy Adams brings a fresh and sensual touch to the story of these two literary legends. Born With Teeth, which premiered at Houston’s Alley Theatre in 2022, won the 2021 Edgerton Foundation New Play Award.

What is Born With Teeth about?
William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe—two brilliant minds, giants of the London theater scene and literary rivals, inspiring and often thwarting each other. During three secret meetings in a London pub, they engage in a battle of wits and seduction, joining their creative forces against a backdrop of political games and espionage.

Born With Teeth is a brand-new original play by Liz Duffy that reimagines the much-debated relationship between Shakespeare and Marlowe (collaborators? rivals? or something more?) in this thrilling story, rich in wordplay and wit. In interviews, Ncuti Gatwa has described the play as “clever, dark, sexy, hard-hitting, and funny,” and Edward Bluemel has expressed his excitement at “stepping into the shoes of a young William Shakespeare.”