Today [

Synopsis: Radio current affairs and news programme presented by John Humphrys and Edward Stourton. Includes an item, introduced by Humphrys, that reports on Ian McKellen recording a few lines from Sonnet 18 ‘Shall I compare thee to a summer’s day?' which teenagers from Limehouse Youth Centre put to a backing track, and then rap. McKellen comments that the blending of two art forms separated by 400 years came naturally. "Shakespeare is all based on beats, rhythm and rhyme -- all things that rappers deal with," Eddie Stride, who runs the centre, and Tricky, who is the musician and producer, debate if there is a link between poetry and rap in the eyes of modern rappers. Tricky doubts the life-changing effect of bringing Shakespeare to schools through reading.
Series: Today
Language: English
Country: Great Britain
Medium: Radio
Notes: The BBC Today programme website includes an audio archive of TODAY programmes stretching back to 2003. See http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/default.stm (accessed 10/2008)
Subjects: English language and literature; Music
Keywords: Shakespeare, William (1564-1616); Rap music

Contributor

John Humphrys; Tricky

Cast

Ian McKellen