The Shakespop Podcast

Koel Chatterjee
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  • Performing Arts
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This is a podcast about Shakespeare and popular culture where I delve into some serious topics such as identity and postcolonialism, as well as talk about Shakespereana and more 'frivolous' aspects of my life as a Shakespeare Geek. If you're looking for a community of like-minded Shakespeare Geeks join us at shakespop.co.uk on Insta and FB, on @UKShakespop on X, or on @drkoelchatterjee on Tiktok.

  1. May 7

    Ep 18: Adapting Shakespeare for a new audience with Samir Bhamra

    In this episode of The Shakespop Podcast, I’m joined by theatre maker, writer, and director Samir Bhamra to discuss adapting Shakespeare through the lens of British Asian identity, language, music, and performance. We explore the creative and political possibilities of reimagining Shakespeare for contemporary multicultural Britain, from questions of audience and belonging to the legacy of British Asian theatre and the pressures of representation. Samir reflects on his career adapting Shakespeare across stage and musical forms, the role of humour and hybridity in his work, and what it means to inherit — and transform — Shakespeare today. The conversation also marks ten years since Indian Shakespeare Cinemas on Screen at the BFI Southbank, the landmark event co-created with Varsha Panjwani, Preti Taneja, and Thea Buckley — a reminder of how conversations around global and British Asian Shakespeare continue to evolve across theatre, film, and popular culture. If you enjoyed this episode, please consider subscribing, leaving a rating or review, and sharing the podcast with fellow Shakespeare fans, theatre lovers, and adaptation enthusiasts. Follow the wider Shakespop project for essays, bonus content, and behind-the-scenes material via the Secret Shakespeare Society on Substack.

    42 min

  2. Episode 1 Trailer

    Cymbeline as a Manmohan Desai Epic Indian Film

    Short clip from Epsiode 18: Interview with British Asian Theatremaker Samir Bhamra

    1 min

  3. Apr 14

    Episode 17: Inherited Scripts: Who Owns Shakespeare in British Asian Culture?

    Who owns Shakespeare—and who gets to speak him without explanation? In this episode of The Shakespop Podcast, Dr Koel Chatterjee marks the 10-year anniversary of the 2016 “Indian Shakespeares on Screen” event at BFI Southbank and Asia House, co-organised with Varsha Panjwani, Thea Buckley, and Preti Taneja. Reflecting on that moment a decade later, this episode traces a major shift in Shakespeare studies—from introduction to authority, from translation to assertion. Moving beyond ideas of “adaptation” or “representation,” the episode explores British Asian Shakespeare as a site of cultural negotiation, where questions of legitimacy, performance, and ownership are actively contested. Follow & Connect Instagram | TikTok | Substack: @Shakespop ⭐ If you enjoyed this episode, follow, rate, and review—it helps others find the showListen Next 🎭 Interview with Sameer Bhamra — British Asian theatre in practice📖 Shakesfic: Deep dive into We That Are Young

    22 min

  4. Apr 1

    Episode 16: Blood Will Tell with Jennifer Miller

    What happens when Shakespeare becomes the framework for telling a true crime story? In this episode of The Shakespop Podcast, I’m joined by journalist and podcaster Jennifer Miller to discuss her limited series Blood Will Tell — a case centred on identical twins, contested identity, and the unsettling question of who gets believed. From episode titles like “Fortune’s Fool” and “Readiness Is All,” Miller’s series doesn’t just reference Shakespeare — it uses him as a narrative blueprint. Together, we explore how Shakespearean tragedy continues to shape the way we understand crime, from ideas of fate and motive to performance, doubling, and moral ambiguity. Drawing on concepts from narrative criminology, this episode asks:Do we interpret crime through evidence — or through story?

    41 min

  5. Mar 24

    Episode 15 The Shakespearean Blueprint: When Art Becomes Alibi

    What does Shakespeare have to do with true crime? In this episode, we explore how Romeo and Juliet, Othello, and Macbeth continue to shape the way we understand real-world violence — from “star-crossed lovers” to “crimes of passion” and the enduring myth of Lady Macbeth. Drawing on narrative criminology, this episode examines how Shakespeare provides a cultural script for jealousy, ambition, and murder — one that still appears in media headlines, courtrooms, and public imagination. Part of the Shakespeare & True Crime series this March on Shakespop .

    28 min

  6. Mar 1

    Episode 14: Shakespeare's Borrowed Feathers with Darren Freebury-Jones

    Was Shakespeare an original genius—or an expert remixer? In this episode of The Shakespop Podcast, I’m joined by Darren Freebury-Jones to talk about his book Shakespeare’s Borrowed Feathers, which challenges the myth of Shakespeare as a solitary, self-generating author. Instead, we explore Shakespeare as a writer shaped by influence, imitation, and creative borrowing—working inside a competitive early modern literary marketplace. Drawing on attribution studies, close reading, and literary history, Darren shows how Shakespeare absorbed and transformed the language of his contemporaries, particularly Marlowe, in ways that feel strikingly modern. This conversation reframes Shakespeare not as an untouchable monument, but as part of a shared cultural ecosystem—closer to sampling, remix culture, and collaborative authorship than we might expect. We also talk about why the lone-genius myth persists, what we lose by clinging to it, and how letting it go opens up new, more inclusive ways of thinking about authorship, creativity, and popular culture—then and now.

    41 min

  7. Season 1, Episode 13 Trailer

    Was Shakespeare a solitary genius?

    Was Shakespeare the solitary genius he is frequently portrayed to be, or is he more of a showrunner working within a collaborative Early Modern theatre making space? Find out by listening to Episode 13: The Collaborative Bard: Stylometry, Scripts, and Shakespeare.

    27 sec

  8. Feb 4

    Episode 13: The Collaborative Bard: Stylometry, Scripts, and Shakespeare

    We love to imagine Shakespeare as a solitary genius: candlelit desk, quill in hand, inventing English literature by himself. The reality is far messier — and far more interesting. In this episode of Shakespop, I explore Shakespeare as a collaborative professional working inside a fast-moving, commercial theatre industry. From co-writing with Christopher Marlowe, to rescuing unfinished scripts, to handing over the reins to John Fletcher, Shakespeare’s plays were shaped by many hands — during his lifetime and long after his death. This episode looks at how early modern playwriting actually worked, why collaboration was the norm, and how modern tools like stylometry allow us to see Shakespeare’s writing partnerships more clearly than ever before. If you enjoyed this episode, please subscribe, rate, and share Shakespop. You can also follow along on Substack for essays, reading lists, and behind-the-scenes notes from each episode.

    28 min
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About

This is a podcast about Shakespeare and popular culture where I delve into some serious topics such as identity and postcolonialism, as well as talk about Shakespereana and more 'frivolous' aspects of my life as a Shakespeare Geek. If you're looking for a community of like-minded Shakespeare Geeks join us at shakespop.co.uk on Insta and FB, on @UKShakespop on X, or on @drkoelchatterjee on Tiktok.

Information

  • Creator
    Koel Chatterjee
  • Years Active
    2025 - 2026
  • Episodes
    19
  • Rating
    Explicit
  • Copyright
    © Koel Chatterjee
  • Show Website
    The Shakespop Podcast