This is not an academic podcast but it is a smart one. It is not afraid to get into deep literary theory and historical analysis but it does it in a way that manages to bring the listener along with it, even on difficult issues such as sexism and racism in Shakespeare's works.
My favourite episode has Akala talking about the Hip-hop Shakespeare Company, just because it's always a treat to hear him speak and is a great example of the breadth of scope covered by the podcast. This is an American podcast but there are interviews with theatremakers from China, India and the Swahili-speaking regions of east Africa – great for showing students that Shakespeare has a global appeal rather than simply asserting it as fact.
New episodes come out about once every two weeks and are about 35 minutes long. At the time of writing, there are 105 episodes, which may seem like a lot but there's no inherent order to them. With the exception of a few double-features from actors such as Derek Jacobi, the podcast gladly hops about between topics, plays and themes. The titles and descriptions do a great job of informing a potential listener so you know exactly what you're getting with each episode. Some topics might catch your eye while others aren't for you – it's a nice approach that keeps the podcast fresh and relevant, not placing huge demands on its audience's time.
The only downside for me was the overuse of what is often referred to as ‘podcast voice’ – anyone who listens to This American Life will be overly familiar with the particular cadence that I am referring to. I find it very grating so I found myself enjoying those episodes that had more input from the guest rather than the presenter.
In all, a great resource. Short enough to set as homework or as wider study if you have students who would take the time to listen but equally useful to inform your own practice and feed into lesson plans.
The podcast can be found on most podcast apps or at folger.edu/shakespeare-unlimited