The Bardcast: "It's Shakespeare, You Dick!"

Sent us a text, you dicks!! " I may be cwazy... but I'm not goin' to Alcatwaz..."     (Yeah, yeah, we know it's a Shakespeare podcast, but Bugs Bunny is as Shakespearean a character as they come!!) Today's episode takes us deep into the loony bins of the canon. Which Shakespeare characters have gone off the deep end?  And what would their diagnosis be?  We dive into t...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! "In the summertime, when the weather is high You can stretch right up and touch the sky When the weather's fine You got Shakespeare, you got Shakespeare on your mind!" Well, we ALWAYS have Shakespeare on our minds!! But... it's still summer... hot, sweaty, stinky, sexy summer.  What was it like for Elizabethans in the summer?  In this episode, we dis...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! "Vacation, all I ever wanted.... Vacation, had to get away..." Okay, so the Go-Gos aren't exactly Shakespearian, but it is a catchy tune!! It's summer, it's hot, it's time for some relaxation and respite.  That being said, since neither of us can get away - too much going on!!! - www.sagaftrastrike.org!!! - in today's episode, we discu...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! So, dear listeners... several episodes ago, we dove headlong into the world of AI. We asked CHATGPT to write sequels of three Shakespeare plays for us. (We also asked for a synopsis of the original plays). They BLEW. Then we found out that there was (apparently) a SMARTER version of CHAT GPT.  That, of course, you have to pay for. We couldn't help ourselves.  Here&...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! What images do the word "knight" conjure up in your heads, dear listeners?? A devilishly handsome man on a white horse? A metal bound warrior on a valiant steed? A pub-carousing, wench-laying, pint-waving, gorbellied sot? They ALL exist in Shakespeare's canon, way more than you might think!! In this episode, we talk about (hopefully!) all of them!!! To se...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! Welcome to Season 4 of The Bardcast!!!! We are incredibly grateful to ALL our listeners worldwide for getting us to this point - we love you all, you dicks and dickesses!!!! Our season opener follows some of the stuff we've been talking about... which characters in the Shakespeare canon are just fucking idiots in one way or another?  Who is just dumb as a post gene...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! Merriam Webster's definition of "woke" is as follows: Woke (chiefly US slang) - 1a: aware of and actively attentive to important societal facts and issues (especially issues of racial and social justice) - often used in contexts that suggest someone's expressed beliefs about such matters are not backed with genuine concern or action. In this episode,...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! So, dear listeners... everyone is up in arms these days about Artificial Intelligence, and all the things that it's being used for - photography, art, advertising, voiceovers, etc. - with good reason to be nervous! So we decided we were going to ask CHATGPT to write sequels of three Shakespeare plays for us. (We also asked for a synopsis of the original plays). Lis...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! What makes a good leader?  What makes a bad leader?  What Shakespeare characters fall into which category? In this episode, we take a deep dive into all those that rule... or don't! To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail.com  To support us (by giving us money - we're a 501C3 Non-Profit - helll...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! “Those friends thou hast, and their adoption tried, Grapple them unto thy soul with hoops of steel” — Polonius, Hamlet Act I Scene 3    "We'll always be bosom buddies...." - Mame and Vera, Mame Act II In today's episode, we discuss those platonic (mostly!) relationships in Shakespeare which feed us, touch us, annoy us, and horrify us. Did we miss one...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! So... what's the deal with those prologues and epilogues in Shakespeare plays?  And who is the "Chorus," exactly?? In this episode we discuss all the things that are used in the Shakespeare canon as a framing device.  You know, two households both alike and all that... To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: theba...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! As if our trip to the UK wasn't incredible enough, we met this AMAZING man in Stratford Upon Avon who is a docent for The Shakespeare Birthplace Trust, who oversees the Shakespeare Birthplace, Holy Trinity Church, Shakespeare's Schoolhouse, The New Place... EVERYTHING that has ANYTHING to do with Shakespeare in Stratford Upon Avon!!!!!! Join us as we talk to t...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! We complete our UK Shakespeare binge with The Tempest at the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford Upon Avon and Othello by the sizzling Frantic Assembly at the Lyric Hammersmith back in London What a whirlwind tour!!!  To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail.com  To support us (by giving us money - we&...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! To be or not to be..... 90 minutes?!? What do you get when you cut all of the adults out of Hamlet?? Listen to the episode and find out as we Shakespeare our way through London!!! To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail.com  To support us (by giving us money - we're starving artists, dammit!!) - per...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! Continuing on our UK quest for all things Shakespeare, we returned to the indoor theatre at The Globe for Titus Andronicus. Now we understand why some mothers eat their young.   Hide all your candles!! To send us an email - please do, we truly want to hear from you!!! - write us at: thebardcastyoudick@gmail.com  To support us (by giving us money - we're starving ar...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! Hello you dicks and dickesses!!! We continue to take you with us on our journey through Merrie Olde England with our review of Henry V at the Sam Wanamaker, the indoor theatre at the Globe in London.   We wish we were back in London (sob!), but listen with us and maybe we can all meet there in our dreams!!! Cuppa, anyone?? Or a pint?? We're so in!!! To send us an e...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! As if our UK trip wasn't AMAZING enough... in this episode not only do we review the stunning production of As You Like It that we saw at SohoPlace, but we were thrilled to be able to do an interview with TOM MISON, who played a simply outstanding Touchstone in that production!! We bet that you know him from other things besides Shakespeare... check out his IMDB pa...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! WE ARE IN THE CENTRE OF THE UNIVERSE!!!! For us anyway!!!  Did you know that Shakespeare grew up with gallons and gallons of urine and manure in his back yard?? Or that his dad ran a brisk business out of the front window while little Will was sleeping upstairs (before he went bankrupt, that is)?? Or that he and his knocked up wife had to live with his parents after the...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! OHMYGODWERESOEXCITED!!!!! The next time you hear us, we will be recording from THE UK!!!   IN THE SAME ROOM!!! Yes, listeners, The Bardcast is heading to London and Stratford-upon-Avon for ALL THINGS SHAKESPEARE (what, what?!??)!!!  In this episode, we give you a preview of our itinerary - what Shakespeare plays we’re seeing, where we’re going, what we’re doing etc. - a...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! Happy 2023, dicks and dickesses!! We decided to start off the new year by playing a game that we were both given for Christmas, Great Shakespearean Deaths, a card game by Chris Riddell & Spymonkey. Let the games begin!!!  Also, make sure you join us on January 20, when we will be doing a "The Bardcast Goes to London and Stratford" preview episode!!!! Annou...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! Okay people, relax... Shakespeare wasn't crucified, of course!! He even survived many rounds of the Bubonic Plague!! But... it is close to Christmas, and this is our last episode of 2022, so we decided to see how many times Christ, Jesus, or Jesus Christ is mentioned in the canon.  We include some other variations, but you'd be amazed at how relatively few thi...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! Remember our Yaaaaassss Queen episode??? We figured that fair is fair, so here's our counterpart episode!!! There are SOOOOOOO MANY KINGS in Shakespeare's plays!!! And we talk about ALL of them, but if we miss one... let us know!!!! Announcements!!!   We are now a federal non-profit 501C3, so any money you donate towards the podcast is a 100% tax deduction - d...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! So... you know that game people play where you give someone three names of either famous people, or people you both know, or historical characters, etc., and you have to pick the one who you'd marry, the one who you'd fuck, and the one who you'd kill out of the three? Yeah, that game.  Except we play it with Shakespeare characters!!! It's a blast. Ch...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! So... one of our beloved listeners, David Overton PhD, contacted us and told us about this FABULOUS game that he sells all over, including this link for Etsy: https://www.etsy.com/listing/734729316/bard-cards-the-authentic-shakespearean We decided to play a round against each other (yes, substances are involved!) to see how the game is - and it ROCKS!!! AND it's ha...

Sent us a text, you dicks!! Hi there poison ghouls!! (Get it??)   It's spooky season!! All Hallow's Eve is around the corner!! And since we're heading into Halloween weekend, we thought we'd talk about all the characters in Shakespeare that dress up and/or impersonate someone or something else. There's a lot!!  If we miss one, let us know!!! To send us an email - please do...