
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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