'To Be or Not to Be, Innit' has found its way onto many radio programmes, including the Mid Morning show with Annie Othen on BBC Radio Coventry, which you can listen to below. This was broadcast on Shakespeare's 445th birthday on 23rd April, 2009.
"To be, or not to be, innit, that is da question what I is askin' bruv. Whether it is wicked and stuff with all da pointy arrows and fings coming from da hood or to take arms against da sea of agro by well mashin' dem, know what I mean? To be well dead or just chillin', man, it means nuffin' cos that just ain't cool, bitch, no matter if you is all stiff or not, you get me? And dere is da rub, innit, or is you just busting me chops or what."
After further appearances on Richard Bacon's 5live show and a cluster of local radio programmes, Martin was featured in the Louisa Hannan Show on BBC Radio Oxford, on the 4th January 2010.
"Yo, Mercutio, me main man, why is we hanging like this, blud, when we should leg it back to da home turf coz da Capulet scum is largin' it and is looking to well mash us big time."
Alas, poor Shakespeare, we knew him well but if we're being honest here, not exactly in a way we used to. So much has changed but even so I reckon if Will was around today I think he'd feel duty bound to reflect life as it really is in the 21st century; living, as he would be, on the front line in Stratford upon Avon with his fit bitch Ann Hathaway.
However, nowadays Shakespeare isn't as cool as he used to be because a lot of people think he's boring and lacks street cred. Perhaps. But if the Bard was living today I reckon he'd say "Am I bovvered?" After all, for a man accredited with the greatest literature ever written, what would he have to prove?
No, if William Shakespeare was of this age I am certain that he would still be writing in the Globe turf, getting loads of respect from the Stratford upon Avon massive and producing works of pure genius like 'Romeo and His Fit Bitch Jools', 'De Taming of de Bitch', Macbeff and 'Two Geezas of Verona', and this is what this book is all about.
But for all the purists reading this brief introduction I would just like to say that this abridged collection of fifteen of Shakespeare's finest work has been mindful to stay true to the original format by retaining all the important sexist, duplicitous, cross-dressing and violent moments that made William Shakespeare well wicked.
Respect.
The BBC are often accused of dumbing down the news, but sometimes - just sometimes - they come up with a real gem. This is Martin Baum's first appearance on BBC Breakfast.
Martin's best-selling book 'To Be or Not To Be, Innit' also found its way onto the Richard and Judy show on Watch. Alistair McGowan, Edward Woodward, and Michelle Dotrice were read extracts from the book and guess which play they came from.
To Be or Not To Be, Innit made it onto The One Show for yet another TV appearance.