Ncuti Gatwa cast as Elizabethan playwright Marlowe

Doctor Who star Ncuti Gatwa has been cast in a new play as Elizabethan playwright Christopher Marlowe, the Royal Shakespeare Company has announced.

Born With Teeth will explore the relationship between a 27-year-old Marlowe and rising star William Shakespeare, as they are forced to work together on a new piece of work.

Gatwa said he was "so excited" to be appearing in the play, which he said was "like no version of Shakespeare and Marlowe that I've ever seen before".

Shakespeare will be portrayed by Edward Bluemel, who has starred in Killing Eve, A Discovery of Witches, and alongside Gatwa in Sex Education.

The show will play for 11 weeks at the Wyndham's Theatre from 13 August.

Born With Teeth, written Liz Duffy Adams, will take an "irreverent" look at the "high-octane world of two of the theatre's greatest literary icons", the RSC said.

Set in the backroom of a pub in 1591, the show sees Marlowe and Shakespeare forced to come together across three secret meetings to collaborate on a new play.

It's a dangerous time for artists in England, a country rife with paranoia where spies are everywhere, and as the rivals duel with each other, they become increasingly tempted by the idea of betrayal.

The play premiered in Houston in 2022 and has since been performed around the US in Oregon, California and Florida, but this will mark its West End debut.

The UK production will be directed by Daniel Evans, whose previous stage credits include a production of American Buffalo starring Damian Lewis and John Goodman, and the James Graham play Quiz, about the Who Wants To Be A Millionaire coughing scandal.

In a statement, Bluemel said he felt "incredibly proud and excited" to be working with Gatwa and Evans.

"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," he said.

"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.

"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."

Gatwa said: "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".

In a review after the play's Texas premiere, Broadway World's Christian Gill said: "It's one part fan fiction, one part examination of egos, and another part commentary of the destructive capabilities of societal expectations.

"We spend ninety minutes watching a game between the best writers of their time."

Rohan Preston of the Minnesota Star Tribune added: "The play cuts to the bone as Kit and Will trade barbs, ambitions and, ultimately, places in a history play that rewrites our understanding of these two figures."

Gatwa got his breakthrough role playing Eric in Netflix's Sex Education and has also appeared in Barbie.

He was cast in Doctor Who in 2022, taking over the lead role from Jodie Whittaker. His second season as the Doctor due to begin airing this weekend.

Gatwa's casting in Born With Teeth comes after unconfirmed reports that he is set to leave Doctor Who, and that the show may be facing the axe. Neither Gatwa, the BBC or Disney+ have commented on the reports.