Breaking Bard: The Forgotten History Podcast

Breaking Bard
  • 5.0 (1)
  • COMEDY
  • UPDATED WEEKLY

Join host Kaine Francesco and an ever‑rotating cast of friends as they resurrect the weird, wonderful, and wildly forgotten corners of history. Part storytelling, part research, part unhinged group chat, Breaking Bard: The Forgotten History Podcast shines a light on the people and stories the textbooks skipped — with humour, heart, and just a hint of chaos.

  1. 1D AGO

    Episode 13 - Septimeus Severus: The African Emperor Who Rewrote Rome

    You’ve just walked past the great marble pillars guarding the entrance to the British Museum and you happen upon a bust of a Roman emperor. His face is proud, his beard tightly curled, his hair carved in perfect rings, his skin rendered in smooth white marble… But there’s a problem. This man — one of the most successful emperors Rome ever produced — wasn’t white. He was North African. And history has largely forgotten that. Join host Kaine Francesco and guest Maeve Rose Sally as they venture into the Roman Empire in this brand new episode of Breaking Bard: The Forgotten History Podcast. Listen to Breaking Bard wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe on YouTube and Instagram to get the full story.

    1h 29m

  2. MAY 4

    Episode 12 - The Mummy, Ancient Poppers & Drunken Orgies with Egyptologist Curtis Ryan Woodside

    In this week's episode Kaine Francesco is joined by Egyptologist and filmmaker Curtis Ryan Woodside. The two Ancient Egypt fans discuss Woodside's new documentary on Nefertari, a chance meeting with a cast member of The Mummy, why Egyptians worshipped cats AND Kaine gets Curtis to play Snog, Marry, Kill with some famous Pharaohs. Watch 'Nefertari' for free here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dea1hCH5J3k&t=642s as well as the YouTube version of this podcast here: https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxY5OqGz8ncyuZmlvG7CMkQ/ 🎧 Listen to Breaking Bard wherever you get your podcasts.

    1h 6m

  3. APR 27

    Mini Bard Ep. 4 - More Dinosaurs, Spy questions And A Block of Cheese

    Dino-obsessed Lewis Miles babbles on some more about his favourite giant lizards before testing Kaine on his spy skills – they also bring up the age-old conundrum of what would you prefer between a cat/dog, a cow, a block of cheese and a dinosaur in this week's Mini Bard!! Mini Bard is the short-form companion to Breaking Bard, where we dive a little deeper and wander a little further into the stories that tantalise our guests. Researched, hosted and edited by Kaine Francesco Pieri Guest Lewis Miles Watch it on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxY5OqGz8ncyuZmlvG7CMkQ/ 🎧 Listen to Breaking Bard wherever you get your podcasts

    34 min

  4. APR 20

    Episode 11 - Baron Franz Nopcsa, the Murderous Spy Who Loved Dinosaurs

    In the early 20th century, one aristocrat led a double life few could have imagined. Baron Franz Nopcsa was a groundbreaking paleontologist who transformed how we understand dinosaurs—but he was also a spy, adventurer, and a murderer. In this episode, Kaine Francesco is joined by Lewis Miles to uncover the strange and controversial life of Nopcsa. From fossil discoveries in Transylvania to political intrigue across Europe, they explore a story shaped by brilliance, secrecy, and ultimately tragedy. Listen to Breaking Bard wherever you get your podcasts, and subscribe on YouTube and Instagram to get the full story.

    1h 31m

  5. APR 13

    Mini Bard Ep. 3 - Gods, Witchcraft & Singular Goats with Maeve Rose Sally

    Kaine Francesco is joined again by Maeve Sally to debrief after the spellbinding episode on Australia's most infamous witch Rosaleen Norton. Maeve reveals what question she would ask Rosaleen and toasts her favourite moment of the episode. We also delve into what makes a story in her eyes as well as chat about our favourite things we're watching at the moment.  Mini Bard is the short-form companion to Breaking Bard, where we dive a little deeper and wander a little further into the stories that tantalise our guests. Researched, hosted and edited by Kaine Francesco Pieri Guest Maeve Rose Sally Watch it on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxY5OqGz8ncyuZmlvG7CMkQ/ 🎧 Listen to Breaking Bard wherever you get your podcasts

    30 min

  6. APR 6

    Episode 10 - Rosaleen Norton, the 'Witch' of King's Cross

    In mid-20th century Sydney, one woman became the focus of scandal, fascination, and fear. Branded the “Witch of Kings Cross,” Rosaleen Norton was an artist, occultist, and outspoken challenger of social norms whose work brought her into direct conflict with police, the press, and the moral boundaries of her time. In this episode, Kaine Francesco is joined by Maeve Sally to explore Norton’s extraordinary life and legacy. From her arrest for “obscene” artwork to her unapologetic embrace of magic, sexuality, and the occult, they unpack the myths and realities surrounding one of Australia’s most controversial cultural figures.   Listen to Breaking Bard wherever you get your podcasts, subscribe on YouTube and Instagram to get the full story.

    1h 17m

  7. MAR 30

    Mini Bard Ep. 2 - Unfortunate Toast, Queer Levity & AI Slop

    In this Mini Bard, Kaine and Lewis reflect on the story of New Orlean's Upstairs Inferno and toast their favourite bit of the main episode. For some levity, Lewis shares some positive queer news before the pair go on tangents about AI slop. Expect laughter and a few tipsy detours. Mini Bard is the short-form companion to Breaking Bard, where we dive a little deeper and wander a little further into the stories that tantalise our guests. Researched, hosted and edited by Kaine Francesco Pieri Guest Lewis Miles Watch it on YouTube here https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCxY5OqGz8ncyuZmlvG7CMkQ/ 🎧 Listen to Breaking Bard wherever you get your podcasts

    38 min

  8. MAR 24

    Episode 9 - Upstairs Inferno, New Orlean's Forgotten LGBT+ Massacre

    On June 24, 1973, a fire tore through the Upstairs Lounge in New Orleans. Within minutes, 32 people were dead — making it one of the deadliest attacks on the LGBT+ community in U.S. history. And yet, outside of queer memory, it has been largely forgotten. In this episode, Kaine Francesco and Lewis Miles explore the story of the Upstairs Inferno: the working-class gay bar that became the site of a devastating arson attack, the lives of the people who gathered there for community and refuge, and the shocking indifference that followed. From hostile media coverage to churches refusing funeral services for the victims, the aftermath revealed as much about 1970s America as the tragedy itself. Nearly fifty years before the Pulse nightclub shooting, the Upstairs Lounge fire exposed the vulnerability — and resilience — of queer communities fighting to exist in the open. This is the story of one of the worst, and most overlooked, LGBT+ massacres in modern history.

    1h 42m
See All (17)

Ratings & Reviews

About

Join host Kaine Francesco and an ever‑rotating cast of friends as they resurrect the weird, wonderful, and wildly forgotten corners of history. Part storytelling, part research, part unhinged group chat, Breaking Bard: The Forgotten History Podcast shines a light on the people and stories the textbooks skipped — with humour, heart, and just a hint of chaos.

Information