There’s a great mix in this week’s column.
1. How Very Hannah
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms and YouTube
Genre: Musical theatre
How Very Hannah is a podcast where TikTok star and West End actress Hannah Lowther is joined by celebrity guests to offer an insight into the world of theatre, from performing and production to the realities of working in the industry.
On this week’s episode, Lowther sits down with renowned actress Bonnie Langford, whose career spans television, theatre, and film. Langford is known for roles in EastEnders and Doctor Who, as well as having an extensive West End career which began when she was aged just seven in a production of Gone With The Wind.
Now starring in Paddington The Musical at the Savoy Theatre in London, Langford reflects on her decades in the performing arts, including her first experience on Broadway at nine years old – which sparked an entertaining conversation on the differences between British and American theatre etiquette.
The stars also speak about the difficulties of bringing children to watch a theatre show, pet peeve as performers and onstage blunders, rather than simply looking back at Langford’s lengthy career.
(By Carla Feric)
2. Buried Evidence
Streaming platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: True Crime
For those looking for a new true-crime podcast to become obsessed with, Buried Evidence is well worth a listen. The new weekly podcast from The Crime Desk on Acast revisits some of the world’s oldest cold cases, delving beneath the folklore to uncover what the evidence can really tell us.
Hosted by historian Rebecca Rideal and archaeologist Professor Raksha Dave, the podcast explores fascinating stories of crime unearthed through some of the world’s most significant archaeological discoveries.
One of the first episodes tackles the cold case of Ötzi the Iceman – the remarkably preserved body of a man who died around 3300 BCE. The episode opens with a chilling description of what Ötzi looked like when his body was first spotted by two hikers in 1991, in the Ötztal Alps, on the border between Austria and Italy.
Rideal asks plenty of thought-provoking questions throughout the episode, and her genuine curiosity and enthusiasm for these mysteries really shines through as she explores theories about what could have happened to Ötzi.
Dave provides fascinating historical and archaeological context, while examining the evidence gathered from Ötzi’s body over decades of research.
Her insights reveal astonishing details about his final 48 hours of life thousands of years ago and demonstrate how even the smallest clues can prove to be the most revealing.
(By Camilla Foster)
3. Jane Austen Stories narrated by Dame Julie Andrews
Streaming Platform: Noiser
Genre: Fiction and storytelling
Jane Austen Stories is back with a new series and Dame Julie Andrews has returned to narrate Emma in its original form for the podcast network Noiser.
The series brings the novel to life, exactly as it was written and is accompanied by cinematic music and sound design. Emma is the fourth novel by Austen and is set in the fictional town of Highbury, England, in the early 19th century.
It centres on Emma Woodhouse, a rich young woman who sees herself as a confident matchmaker – often leading to several romantic misadventures. The overall tone of the novel is comic and hints at critique of both social distinctions and classism of the time.
This week’s episode covers chapter three of the novel when Emma invites friends to dine with her and her father. Here she meets Miss Goddard, a schoolmistress, and her boarder, Harriet Smith. Emma takes an immediate liking to Harriet and decides to take her on as a friend and introduce her to high society to improve her opinions and manners.
Throughout the episode there are elements of music and sound to bring the narration to life and Andrews adds her own touch of magic to the overall storytelling.
(By Sara Keenan)
4. ill-advised by Bill Nighy
Streaming Platform: All streaming platforms
Genre: Entertainment
The ill-advised podcast by actor Bill Nighy is a unique blend of humour and advice, hosted by Nighy himself and a production of EYEPOD Studios.
The podcast is said to be: “Designed for those who may not get out much and find themselves in situations where they need a bit of guidance.” Throughout each episode Nighy listens to listeners’ problems and offers them a solution.
Now, he is back for season three and this week’s episodes features questions about all sorts including a man who has an addiction of buying caps and hats. Nighy reassures the listener and says: “It could be a lot worse,” and ensures him he would do the same. Then there is another woman who needs his help finding a new surname after her divorce.
The season also has a variety of segments including a playlist which this week is called: ‘No I was awake, honestly’, and features songs like Damn U by Prince and Misty Blue by Mary J Blige. The book of the episode is Beside The Syrian Sea by James Wolff. Overall, it is a calming podcast with hints of humour and light-heartedness.
(By Sara Keenan)
5. Intrigue: A 9/11 Story
Streaming Platform: BBC Previews
Genre: History
In a new BBC series, journalist Jane McMullen investigates the deadliest terror attack in history – 9/11. Throughout the series, McMullen asks the question of why thousands of grieving families are still fighting for answers.
In episode one, McMullen explains how in early 2000, two young Saudi men arrived in San Diego, US, with no English and no idea how to open a bank account or rent a flat. That is until they meet Holly, a friendly woman who owns a rental office – where she also lives with a community of other people.
Known for her welcoming personality, fresh cookies in the office and friendly neighbourhood environment, Holly remembers the two men walking in, with another man – a neighbour on the complex – who could speak both Arabic and English. After some time, the men rented an apartment for four months before moving out.
It wasn’t until September 2001, after receiving a call from a reporter, that Holly found out the two young men were part of the group of hijackers on the planes during the 9/11 tragedy.
‘This isn’t just another 9/11 story,” the podcast claims. “It’s a 9/11 investigation.”
The episode ends with McMullen explaining that she has gone on a journey to find out who the third man – the neighbour – was in the rental complex back in 2000 – and if he was involved in the horrendous attack.
(By Sara Keenan)
