Ncuti Gatwa (Doctor Who, The Importance of Being Earnest) and Edward Bluemel (Killing Eve, Sex Education) are set to lead the West End premiere of Liz Duffy Adams' Born With Teeth. Performances will begin August 13 at the Wyndham's Theatre for an 11-week limited engagement through November 1. Royal Shakespeare Company co-Artistic Director Daniel Evans will direct.
The new play imagines the relationship between two literary icons at odds with their time: 27-year-old Christopher Marlowe (Bluemel) and rising star William Shakespeare (Gatwa). The pair find themselves forced together to collaborate on a new play, against a backdrop of espionage, religious persecution, and paranoia.
鈥淚鈥檓 so excited to be joining Born With Teeth alongside the amazing Edward Bluemel," Gatwa said in a statement. "Liz Duffy Adams has written an exceptional play that is smart, dark, sexy, sharp and funny! There鈥檚 a lot to get one鈥檚 teeth into. This is like no version of Shakespeare and Marlowe that I鈥檝e ever seen before, and I can鈥檛 wait for audiences to join us for the ride."
鈥淚 feel incredibly proud and excited to be working with Ncuti Gatwa and Daniel Evans on the European premiere of Born With Teeth," added Bluemel. "To be stepping into the shoes of a young William Shakespeare is a huge thrill for any actor and I can鈥檛 wait to get started. When I read Liz Duffy Adams鈥� script, I was instantly drawn into the high-stakes world of these two rival playwrights and the incredible, creative chemistry they share. There鈥檚 a real freshness and vitality to Liz鈥檚 writing that speaks directly to our world, and I can鈥檛 wait for West End audiences to experience it for the first time."
The creative team includes Olivier-winning set designer Joanna Scotcher, Tony and Olivier-winning lighting designer Neil Austin, and casting director Charlotte Sutton, with more to be announced.
Playful Productions, the Royal Shakespeare Company, and Elizabeth Williams are producing.
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