William Shakespeare

William Shakespeare

From Evil Genius with Russell Kane by BBC Sounds

May 20, 2026 · 41 min

About this episode

The episode explores the life and legacy of William Shakespeare, debating his character and contributions to literature.

He’s the most famous writer of all time; but before his reign of terror over the GCSE syllabus, William ‘Shag-speare’ was an upcoming playwright with humble beginnings in Stratford-upon-Avon. But was he more evil, or genius? Did he put the ‘knob’ into Two Noble Kinsmen, or just the ‘mid’ into Midsummer Night’s Dream? It’s up to Stephen Bailey, Kate Cheka and Steve Bugeja to decide whether the Bard of Avon was a bisexual icon, or a bit of a bastard. Additional material: Christina Riggs and Katie Sayer Researcher: Christina Riggs Recording Engineer: Dom Boucher Sound Editor: Kate Mac Production Coordinator: Liz Tuohy Executive Producer: Paul Smith The producer was Katie Sayer. Evil Genius with Russell Kane is a BBC Studios production for BBC Sounds.

People in this episode

Host: Russell Kane

Guests: Stephen Bailey, Kate Cheka, Steve Bugeja

Topics covered

  • William Shakespeare
  • playwriting
  • literature
  • comedy
  • biography
  • historical analysis

Keywords

  • Shakespeare
  • playwright
  • Two Noble Kinsmen
  • Midsummer Night's Dream
  • biography
  • comedy
  • literature

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: BBC Sounds, BBC Studios

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