Ncuti Gatwa & Edward Bluemel’s Born With Teeth: How To Get Tickets
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2 weeks ago
The West End debut of Liz Duffy Adams’ play is causing a stir
Man vs man, playwright vs playwright: Liz Duffy Adams imagines a clash between Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare in Born With Teeth, which has officially opened on the West End for its limited 11 week run. Reuniting Sex Education stars Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel, here’s how to get tickets.
Born With Teeth: Plot, Cast, Tickets & More
Directed by RSC co-artistic director, Daniel Evans, the West End debut of Liz Duffy Adams’ new play comes after initial performances in the States, but this is the UK – and European – premiere.
‘It is rare in my many years as a West End and Broadway producer to read a play like Liz Duffy Adams’ Born With Teeth which, from the first sentence, thrills,’ says Elizabeth Williams, the production’s producer for Playful Productions. ‘Our playwright seems to have channeled directly from the 1590s this story of the intersection of the contemporary lives of these two great poets, Marlowe and Shakespeare, and it is brilliant in conception and ferociously sexy.’
What Is Born With Teeth About?
Born With Teeth imagines the relationship between William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe, two literary icons at odds with their time. The synopsis reads as follows:
Winter 1591.
It is a dangerous time for artists: 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. Alone, with the table as their stage and battlefield, they sharpen their pens – and let their genius fly.
Across three secret meetings, the rivals duel and flirt like their lives depend on it – and with spies everywhere, betrayal is so tempting.
The 90 minute play spans 1591 to 1593, with hardworking Will contrasting the zippy, randy Marlowe, perfectly embodied by Gatwa. Naturally there is lot of creative license taken by Duffy Adams, and this is where the flirtation comes in as the playwrights bind together to pen Henry VI Part I, butt heads, entertain a temptation.
The performance follows Gatwa’s turn as the salaciously flirtatious in the National Theatre’s The Importance of Being Ernest, which solidified the star’s indomitable stage presence which returns wholeheartedly in Born With Teeth.
The Cast
Born With Teeth stars Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel as Christopher Marlowe and William Shakespeare respectively.
‘I’m so excited to be joining Born With Teeth alongside the amazing Edward Bluemel,’ Gatwa says. ‘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.’
‘I feel incredibly proud and excited to be working with Ncuti Gatwa and Daniel Evans on the European premiere of Born With Teeth,’ Bluemel adds. ‘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,’ Bluemel says. ‘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.’
When & Where?
Born With Teeth opened on 13 August 2025 at Wyndham’s Theatre (Charing Cross Rd, London WC2H 0DA) and will run for 11 weeks until 1 November 2025.
How To Get Tickets
Plenty of tickets for Born With Teeth are still available, with prices ranging from £15 for standing tickets to £150 for the best seats in the stalls and Royal Circle.
Shows run Monday to Saturday, with matinee performances (beginning at 2.30pm) on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Otherwise performances begin at 7.30pm, running for 90 minutes with no interval.
