Review: Two Bards, One Stage. Sparks and Stumbles in Born With Teeth
Review: Two Bards, One Stage. Sparks and Stumbles in Born With Teeth
Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel shine in Liz Duffy Adams’ ambitious but uneven historical imagining of the two Elizabethan literary giants.
Ncuti Gatwa and Edward Bluemel shine in Liz Duffy Adams’ ambitious but uneven historical imagining of the two Elizabethan literary giants.
★★★☆☆
★★★☆☆
What if William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe secretly collaborated on the Henry VI plays? That’s the tantalizing premise of Liz Duffy Adams’ new play, currently running at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End. It asks what might have happened if the two giants of Elizabethan drama secretly collaborated on the Henry VI plays. It’s a bold premise, weaving espionage, censorship, paranoia, and even romance into three clandestine meetings spanning 1591-1593. Under Daniel Evans’ direction, the production glimmers with moments of brilliance, though Adams’ script doesn’t always sustain its own momentum.
What if William Shakespeare and Christopher Marlowe secretly collaborated on the Henry VI plays? That’s the tantalizing premise of Liz Duffy Adams’ new play, currently running at the Wyndham’s Theatre in the West End. It asks what might have happened if the two giants of Elizabethan drama secretly collaborated on the Henry VI plays. It’s a bold premise, weaving espionage, censorship, paranoia, and even romance into three clandestine meetings spanning 1591-1593. Under Daniel Evans’ direction, the production glimmers with moments of brilliance, though Adams’ script doesn’t always sustain its own momentum.
At the heart of the play are Ncuti Gatwa (as Kit Marlowe) and Edward Bluemel (as Will Shakespeare), whose onstage chemistry is nothing short of magnetic. Gatwa brings a fiery, restless energy to Marlowe, balancing arrogance with vulnerability, while Bluemel offers a quieter but equally compelling counterpoint as a Shakespeare still finding his voice, determined to be remembered. The two not only capture the essence of their characters but also bring shades of themselves into the performances—playfulness, wit, flashes of modern intimacy—that make the historical figures feel alive and present. Their verbal sparring, laced with sexual tension and razor-sharp wit, is the engine that keeps the play’s pulse beating.
At the heart of the play are Ncuti Gatwa (as Kit Marlowe) and Edward Bluemel (as Will Shakespeare), whose onstage chemistry is nothing short of magnetic. Gatwa brings a fiery, restless energy to Marlowe, balancing arrogance with vulnerability, while Bluemel offers a quieter but equally compelling counterpoint as a Shakespeare still finding his voice, determined to be remembered. The two not only capture the essence of their characters but also bring shades of themselves into the performances—playfulness, wit, flashes of modern intimacy—that make the historical figures feel alive and present. Their verbal sparring, laced with sexual tension and razor-sharp wit, is the engine that keeps the play’s pulse beating.
Daniel Evans’ direction deserves real praise for staging these encounters in a way that feels intimate but never static. The claustrophobic setting mirrors the dangers of a police state, and the tension between secrecy and revelation is beautifully handled. If Shakespeare and Marlowe had worked together, this production makes a persuasive case for how their collaboration might have looked and sounded.
Daniel Evans’ direction deserves real praise for staging these encounters in a way that feels intimate but never static. The claustrophobic setting mirrors the dangers of a police state, and the tension between secrecy and revelation is beautifully handled. If Shakespeare and Marlowe had worked together, this production makes a persuasive case for how their collaboration might have looked and sounded.
That said, the script itself sometimes undermines the strengths of the performances and direction. While the opening scene delivers an electrifying jolt—a loud noise that catches the audience completely off guard and sets expectations high—the pacing doesn’t always follow through. The second meeting, set in 1592, lingers too long without delivering the suspenseful payoff that the first scene promised. I found myself waiting for a dramatic turn or revelation that never arrived. At nearly 20 minutes too long, this section dragged where it should have tightened, leaving the overall structure uneven. By the third meeting, the play regains some of its tension, but the middle stretch dilutes the urgency.
That said, the script itself sometimes undermines the strengths of the performances and direction. While the opening scene delivers an electrifying jolt—a loud noise that catches the audience completely off guard and sets expectations high—the pacing doesn’t always follow through. The second meeting, set in 1592, lingers too long without delivering the suspenseful payoff that the first scene promised. I found myself waiting for a dramatic turn or revelation that never arrived. At nearly 20 minutes too long, this section dragged where it should have tightened, leaving the overall structure uneven. By the third meeting, the play regains some of its tension, but the middle stretch dilutes the urgency.
Thematically, Adams deserves credit for raising fascinating questions: What if these two men had truly collaborated? How might Elizabethan literature—and indeed the entire canon of English drama—have been reshaped? The ideas are rich, even if the execution sometimes falters.
Thematically, Adams deserves credit for raising fascinating questions: What if these two men had truly collaborated? How might Elizabethan literature—and indeed the entire canon of English drama—have been reshaped? The ideas are rich, even if the execution sometimes falters.
Ultimately, Born With Teeth is not the strongest telling of this tantalizing “what if” scenario, but it is worth seeing for the interplay between Gatwa and Bluemel, who provide the kind of chemistry that can’t be manufactured. Their performances elevate the text, making even the slower moments watchable. This is a play that may not fully satisfy, but it sparks enough intrigue to linger in the mind afterward.
Ultimately, Born With Teeth is not the strongest telling of this tantalizing “what if” scenario, but it is worth seeing for the interplay between Gatwa and Bluemel, who provide the kind of chemistry that can’t be manufactured. Their performances elevate the text, making even the slower moments watchable. This is a play that may not fully satisfy, but it sparks enough intrigue to linger in the mind afterward.
Born With Teeth - Wyndham's Theatre
Attended on 22 September 2025