Shakespeare And The American Dream

Robert McCrum journeys across America tracing the origins of the country's love affair with Shakespeare. He finds Americans of all ages, races and classes who feel Shakespeare gives them a voice to express very real concerns about contemporary politics and society.

McCrum watches Henry V in Nashville set during the Civil War, and sees Shakespeare performed two blocks from the US Congress where issues of politics and leadership play out both on stage and on the senate floor with an audience made up of power brokers.

During the programme he meets Stephen Sondheim and actor Alec Baldwin, both great Shakespeare lovers, to discuss what still makes him relevant today.

The programme, a co-coproduction between BBC Radio 4 and BBC World Service, broadcasts on the BBC World Service (Thursday 21 April, 2200-2230 BST) as part of a four-part series, The Compass: Shakespeare In The World, which also looks at the role and interpretation of the works of Shakespeare in India and South Africa.

Presenter/Robert McCrum, Producer/Maggie Ayre for the BBC

Publicity contact: BBC Radio 4 Publicity