Why Shakespeare?

Welcome to episode 4 of ‘Why Shakespeare’, a podcast in which I ask people why they like Shakespeare, why they devote their lives to it, why they learn it by heart and write books about it and donate a million pounds to the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust to restore one of its houses… Well, you will have guessed it – my guest today is a big, big Shakespeare fan. I was lucky to be able to work with the American playwright Ken Ludwig on several shows, and he kindly took time out of his very busy schedule to talk to me about Shakespeare. This was recorded in September 2024 in a dressing room in the Lowry, in Salford, when we were opening his play ‘Murder on the Orient Express.’

My guest for this episode is the actor Lucy Tregear. Lucy is a seasoned actor, voiceover artist and teacher whose work has taken her all over the globe. Together we talk about Shakespeare's sonnets, female roles in the canon, and why Shakespeare should not be mandatory in schools. Happy listening!

My guest today is the actor and writer Michael Begley. He has been acting for decades and has countless credits on the West End and in theatres across the country. He has been on television Doctor Who, Holby City, Casualty, Call the Midwife and EastEnders, for which he has also written several episodes, as Michael is a talented play and screen writer.I interviewed him in his dressing room in Xi’an’s Grand Opera House in China when we were touring together for three months with Agatha Christie’s And Then There Were None.In this episode, Michael compares Shakespeare to Elvis Presley, and we talk about sound, jokes, and why Shakespeare is something 'posh people do over there.' I hope you enjoy listening!

My first guest is the actor Bob Barrett. You might know him from Holby City, but Bob is also a seasoned Shakespearean actor, notably with the company Propeller. He also appears in the movie Shakespeare In Love as George Bryan. I interviewed him in Theatre Royal Plymouth as we were touring together on And Then There Were None. This episode contains: swearing.