DMU Shakespeare expert helps Dame Judi Dench trace the Bard's footsteps in Countryfile special

A Shakespeare expert from De Montfort University Leicester (DMU) will join award-winning actress Dame Judi Dench to help present special edition of BBC’s Countryfile.

Dr Siobhan Keenan will appear on the popular show this Sunday evening, together with host John Craven and Dame Judi, for a Shakespeare-themed episode, marking the 400th anniversary of the death of the playwright.

During the episode, the trio retrace the footsteps of The King’s Men – the acting troupe Shakespeare belonged to that toured the countryside performing his plays.

Dr Keenan – a Reader in Shakespeare and Renaissance Literature at DMU – gave expert analysis and context as John and Dame Judi embarked on a journey by foot and by boat to discover where Shakespeare may have performed, looking into documents from the time.

Dr Keenan said: "Getting to meet and work with John Craven and Dame Judi Dench was a great honour and a lovely experience – a real career high.

"It was especially wonderful to be able to talk one of our greatest Shakespearean actors about the travels and performances of Shakespeare and his fellow players!"

Countryfile's Shakespeare special airs on 24 April at 7pm on BBC One.

The piece is a natural extension to the work Dr Keenan has already carried out with the BBC for this year’s Shakespeare 400 celebration.

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She has worked closely with the broadcaster in producing the Shakespeare on Tour webpages hosted by the BBC, publishing fresh evidence that the playwright’s famous works were an immediate hit, being performed across England by numerous theatre groups in the 16^th and 17^th centuries.

Dr Keenan’s research also outlines how Leicester was one of the most important cities in the East Midlands and a regular stopping point for touring players on their way to and from London.

It unearthed that Shakespeare’s company visited Leicester a number of times in the early 17^th century, with the first evidence of a possible visit dating from 1606.

The Shakespeare on Tour web pages – which are part of the BBC’s huge Shakespeare 2016 Festival site – look at the impact and appear Shakespeare’s work had in his own day, studying local records and evidence across the country from the time to show how and where his work was performed.

Since going live the pages have been viewed hundreds of thousands of times, receiving 42,000 views on the first day alone.

The work showcased has been featured on BBC Breakfast, BBC Online, numerous local radio stations – with Dr Keenan interviewed on many broadcasts – along with huge social media support and following.

The Shakespeare on Tour section will also be feature on the BBC’s main Shakespeare Lives webpage, which will give live coverage of Shakespeare Day Live, an international series of events taking place on April 23 from organisations including the RSC, British Council, BFI and Hay Festival.