Former Cherwell School pupil Tom Bateman is set to play William Shakespeare, writes Christopher Gray

Tom Bateman was giving fine accounts of himself in a number of Shakespearian roles while he was still a pupil at Oxford’s Cherwell School. Now embarked on an increasingly stellar career on the professional stage, he has just landed one of the plum parts of the year, portraying the playwright himself in Shakespeare in Love.

Tom, who was born in 1989, hit the ground running in 2011 when he was cast as Claudio, beside David Tennant’s Benedict, in a sell-out production of Much Ado About Nothing. I caught up with him at the time over a post-show drink when he offered the amusing coinage “splashback” to describe his reflected glory from the Dr Who star.

Since then, his other parts have included Antonio in the Old Vic’s The Duchess of Malfi, D.G. Rossetti in the Arcola Theatre’s Lizzie Siddal, and prominent roles in the TV series Da Vinci’s Demons and The Tunnel.

Adapted for the stage by Lee Hall, the writer of Billy Elliot, Shakespeare in Love is based on the Oscar-winning film, starring Joseph Fiennes and Cate Blanchett, which was written by Marc Norman and Tom Stoppard.

It tells of writer’s block being suffered by Shakespeare until he finds his muse in the shape of passionate noblewoman Viola De Lesseps. This part has gone to Lucy Briggs-Owen, whose career has included a number of prominent roles with the Royal Shakespeare Company.

Produced by Disney and Sonia Friedman, the play opens at the Noël Coward Theatre on July 23, with previews from July 1. Tom and Lucy will head a company of more than 30 actors and musicians, under the direction of Declan Donnellan. I am told there will also be a dog.