Shakespeare productions on BBC Radio: Reflecting the nation?

Radio productions of Shakespeare’s works force listeners to use their imaginations, as well as drawing increased attention to the language. It might therefore be suggested that they can have a powerful influence on their audience. It has been claimed that BBC radio drama was a significant vehicle for notions of nationhood during the Second World War. And as recently as 2016, just prior to the Brexit referendum, the corporation broadcast Julius Caesar; a play about dissent over the ruling elite. This paper looks at how radio productions of Shakespeare’s plays can reflect, and perhaps influence, the British sense of nation.