Review: Born With Teeth (Wyndham's Theatre)

Review by Daz Gale

⭐️⭐️⭐️

What would happen if two titans of literature had collaborated, as has been theorised? That is the premise of Born With Teeth, making its West End premiere at Wyndham’s Theatre. Would this intriguing premise be able to cut it, or would it bite off more than it can chew?

Set in three consecutive years, beginning with 1590, Born With Teeth is set around Kit Marlowe collaborating with Will Shakespeare. With Marlowe, the rock star of Elizabethan theatre and Shakespeare, a promising young playwright whose best is yet to come, the dynamic between them as they attempt to collaborate on Henry VI proves volatile and even dangerous as the power of seduction looms large.

Written by Liz Duffy Adams, Born WIth Teeth is a perfectly solid show, contemporising the language both Shakespeare and Marlowe use (particularly Marlowe) in often humorous ways. A look back at the history of the time brings with it a great deal of intrigue and potential, though this is not always realised. One particular highlight is a clever nod to both the plague at the time and the recent pandemic we have been through, with references to theatres closing and wearing masks, showcasing Adams writing at its most witty and clever.

The problem is it often lacks bite. With a tendency to jump around a lot from modern language and that of the time, it can border on the gimmicky side and comes across far too uneven throughout. While there is plenty of potential here and a smattering of great moments, I found it difficult to sustain my interest at times, coming dangerously close to zoning out on several occasions, as something about the play struggled to truly capture me. As Nucti Gatwa’s Marlowe says, “Could you possibly be more inconsistent” at one point, I found this perfectly mirrored my thoughts of the play - full of promise, but lacking in its consistency.

Daniel Evans’ direction attempts to make some sense of the writing with staging that ramps up the tension and conflicting nature of the two writers in heightened ways. The more intimate moments of Born With Teeth is where the play truly shines, though its tendency to jump from an embrace into an immediate fight, never knowing whether the two are going to kiss or kill each other at any given moment soon grows slightly repetitive, despite the play’s relatively speedy one-act run time.

Joanna Scotcher’s set design relies on a stark but effective stage, with nothing more than a table and chairs, re-arranged for each of the three scenes, against the backdrop of a dominating and domineering lighting rig from Neil Austin that impresses, though does risk being blinding at its climax. Scotcher’s costume design is the strongest design element of the production, with both characters adorned in beautiful clothing that evolves in each scene to reflect the changes in their character, with the subtle details in Shakespeare’s growth a great example of Scotcher’s skill and genius. I was slightly less enamoured with the video design this time around - though the design in itself was especially strong, I found its inclusion rather jarring and unnecessary, 

almost as if it were following a trend of some other recent shows. However, would the show have lost anything from the loss of this video? I don’t think so - in fact, the loss of it may have helped with the cohesiveness of the play.

If there is one reason to see Born With Teeth, it is for its remarkable cast - though technically, these fine actors should be counted as two reasons. Edward Bluemel delivers a great turn as Will Shakespeare, taking on the icon in a performance that changes drastically in each of the three scenes. Bluemel beautifully represents Shakespeare’s growth in confidence and success, with the way he holds himself evolving naturally throughout. Though his character does threaten to get overshadowed by the grand nature of his counterpart, he more than holds his own in a charismatic performance.

Ncuti Gatwa owns the stage the moment he walks on to it, in a blisteringly good portrayal of Kit Marlowe. Channelling the complexities of this volatile and changeable character, Gatwa brings an abundance of charm to it, perfectly balancing the sense of danger and seduction. An exceptional actor, as proven on his TV and film work as well as last year’s The Importance Of Being Earnest, Gatwa is on fine form once again here. It is just a shame the material doesn’t always match the level of Gatwa’s acting, though the fact that he manages to make the piece all the more captivating is a testament to Gatwa’s skills and talents as an actor.

There is nothing wrong with Born With Teeth as a play, per se. It is a perfectly fine piece of theatre. However, the writing felt like it wasn’t in its finished form - perhaps it is the equivalent of baby teeth that could be outgrown and replaced by something bigger, sturdier, and more permanent (nasty accidents permitting). There is still much to enjoy about a trip to this play, notably the two sensational performances - though sadly what could have been an incredibly strong play suffers from a lack of bite, making it hard to swallow at times.

Born With Teeth plays at the Wyndham’s Theatre until 1st November. Tickets from https://allthatdazzles.londontheatredirect.com/play/born-with-teeth-tickets

Photos by Johan Persson