Shakespeare’s greatest actor

You may be familiar with the name of Marco Polo – the 13th-century Venetian merchant who travelled along the Silk Road, journeyed through Asia and spent time at the court of Mongol emperor Kublai Khan. Famously, he documented his experiences in a detailed account that has inspire ... Show More

For much of the 20th century, six sisters from Britain’s minor aristocracy had a knack for making headline after scandalous headline. They were Nancy, Pamela, Diana, Unity, Jessica and Deborah Mitford. Now, the sisters' incredible shared story has been adapted into a TV drama cal ... Show More

When you think of the First World War, what springs to mind? Is it trench warfare? The myth that troops would be home by Christmas? Or perhaps the idea that the whole thing began because of the assassination of an Austro-Hungarian archduke? In this episode, we’re going beyond the ... Show More

Many historians believe William Shakespeare is the greatest playwright who ever lived. Many don’t—citing theories of theft to explain his library of work. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices 

The Bard’s work featured many references to sex and sexuality - some more obvious than others. But what does the work reveal about the sexuality of Shakespeare himself?  Despite being married with three kids to Anne Hathaway in the sleepy suburbs of Stratford-upon-Avon, there’s m ... Show More

Power, greed, religion and sex: historian Dan Jones brings the drama of mediaeval history alivethrough compelling stories, larger-than-life characters and vivid scenes. The third season tells the incredible story of England’s most diabolical ruler. King John makes enemies whereve ... Show More

This episode contains references and words of a sexual nature. Did Alexander the Great and the Queen of the Amazons really have sex for 13 days solid? What do we know about his male lovers? And how did his sex life stand up to that of his dad’s? Today, the guest is our very own T ... Show More

Cyrano de Bergerac is often called a man of letters, a philosopher, a soldier, a duelist, a playwright and many more things. But what he may have been best at was self-invention. His real story is blurry to begin with, and he contributed to that blur, but it’s been even more obsc ... Show More

James Baldwin was a brilliant essayist, one of the chroniclers of the Civil Rights Movement, and a powerful voice against racism. Learn more about your ad-choices at https://www.iheartpodcastnetwork.comSee omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information. 

Even the best biographical depictions of Oscar Wilde often skip over the years he spent in prison, perhaps because the episode is so sad and painful. But in doing so, they miss the profundity of his life and writings. In this episode, Scott Carter, author of the new play Wilde Ma ... Show More

Power, greed, religion and sex: historian Dan Jones brings the drama of mediaeval history alive through compelling stories, larger-than-life characters and vivid scenes. The saga of history’s most dysfunctional dynasty continues. Richard the Lionheart is on the throne and has one ... Show More

It's a good day for cooking! First up: Scott Carter, author of the play Discord: The Gospel According to Thomas Jefferson, Charles Dickens, and Count Leo Tolstoy, joins Jacke for a look at the gospel as updated by Leo Tolstoy. Then novelist Laurie Frankel (author of One Two Three ... Show More