The Shakespop Podcast

What do Swifties and Shakespeare audiences have in common?In this month's anchor episode, I explore how Taylor Swift fans decode lyrics, Easter eggs, and hidden meanings, and what that can teach us about the ways audiences have engaged with Shakespeare for over four centuries.From Samuel Pepys' theatre diaries to TikTok theories, this episode examines fandom, interpretation, and the pleasure of searching for clues.Featuring discussion of Taylor Swift, Romeo and Juliet, Shakespeare's Sonnets, fan culture, and the Shakespeare multiverse.🎧 Bonus content: Members of the Secret Shakespeare Society can unlock The Shakespeare Society Soundtrack, a curated Spotify playlist exploring Shakespeare's afterlives across popular music.I'd love to hear from you: What Taylor Swift lyric feels most Shakespearean—and why?

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.

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