Denice Hicks is the Artistic Director of the Nashville Shakespeare Festival. It was our pleasure to interview her and to hear her talk about the distinctive qualities of the productions and how the festival relates to its communities. We were astounded to learn that the artistic choice to produce Henry V had changed to As You Like It because of the visit of Shakespeare on the Road. Here she talks about why that decision was made, and about the Blue Grass elements of the show we all enjoyed. She also looks ahead to Henry V in 2015, six hundred years since the Battle of Agincourt, and which, for Nashville, will be set in the American Civil War. She brings together Shakespeare, John Steinbeck and the Nashville community and talks about the important role of the Shakespeare reading group at the public library.

And it’s wonderful that the mayor of Nashville, a former aide to the Kennedys, and a Superbowl superstar have taken part in the festival. We were fascinated to find out more…

(We were in a bar during this recording, so listen out for the background sounds of the cocktails being shaken as well as the music for a hot early evening in Nashville.)