Born With Teeth
17 September 2025
Wyndham’s Theatre
4.0 out of 5.0 stars
Born With Teeth, celebrating its European premiere at the Wyndham’s Theatre until 1st November, is a fascinating piece of historical fiction that sees Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare collaborate on a several plays in the backroom of a London pub. This fascinating two-hander leans into the historical theory of Marlowe having been a spy for the Queen’s Privy Council. Positioning him in a dangerous game of brittle allegiances between powerful men in the country, adding to the pressure of being a not-so-secret atheist in a staunchly protestant country. Author Liz Duffy Adams imagines the two literary greats forced to collaborate on a series of plays commissioned by a wealthy patron, while Marlowe tries to gather incriminating information to further his own means.
Ncuti Gatwa is deliciously devious as a confident Marlowe, oozing charisma and charm in abundance, while Edward Bluemel’s young William Shakespeare is quite naive and absolutely star-struck in the face of a much more successful playwright. The two have incredible chemistry on stage, dancing around each other with an enchanting energy that sizzles off the stage.
With a pompously self-assured Marlowe, high on his success and revelling in the benefits his entanglements with influential men afford him, challenging the struggling actor and up-and-coming playwright Shakespeare, who in turn is eager to learn and prove himself, it’s a brilliantly entertaining play. The production leans into the poetry of the two author’s language, basking in quippy back-and-forth amidst a playful power-struggle. Incorporating themes of censorship, political and religious persecution, torture, and manipulation, there is a lot going on in this production. Dazzling with the overwhelming magnetism of its two performers, Born With Teeth is a sexy, captivating play that toys with historical figures, exhibiting the pressures of their societal surroundings and the dangers of censorship and political extremism. A gorgeous, playful, intense production that is spellbinding to watch.
