Christopher Marlowe

Christopher Marlowe, played by Jim Howick, is an established writer in London when Bill arrives.

Biography
Bill meets Christopher for the first time at the Quill and Rapier Tavern.

Christopher tells Bill that the London theatres are closed due to the plague and reveals that, like Bill, he is a writer. They introduce themselves to each other and Christopher tells Bill that he writes "drama, tragedies, tales of betrayal and revenge [and] frailties of the human condition", to which Bill explains that he writes comedies and gives Christopher an example of one of his jokes. Christopher doesn't understand it and remarks that Bill clearly isn't from London. When Bill tells him of his plans to take his new play to a theatre, Christopher discourages him, telling Bill that he is the most successful playwright in London, but he can't buy a house without borrowing money. He then offers Bill an acting role alongside him.

This role turns out to involve the two of them dressing up as vegetables (Chris dresses as a cucumber) and trying to encourage passers-by to eat more of them.