Born With Teeth dares to dramatise an imagined affair between the playwrights – diverting but ultimately toothless
6 / 10
Whether you’re resistant or receptive to the main premise, there’s delight to be had in seeing a friskily rivalrous rapport form between the famous duo, even if we’re given little tangible sense of the wider Elizabethan world. Bolstered by a monumental lighting design that seems determined to dazzle the stalls, Gatwa has the preening swagger of a rock star, restless and agile. We’re not in the same territory of art-meets-life drollery as Shakespeare in Love, and compared to the sitcom Upstart Crow, there’s more artful wittering here than actual wit. But we’re intrigued nonetheless as “Kit” moves from condescension to quill-stroking fascination with Bluemel’s diligent, sensible genius from the sticks.
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