{"name":"BRISTOL IT’S CRIMINAL?","short_name":"BRISTOL IT’S CRIMINAL?","theme_color":"#ffffff","start_url":"/","display":"standalone","background_color":"#fff","description":"<p><b>BRISTOL: IT’S CRIMINAL</b></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Bristol made its fortune on trade, empire, rebellion — and sometimes outright criminality.</span></p>\n<p><b>BRISTOL: IT’S CRIMINAL</b><span style=\"font-weight:400;\"> is a dark history and true crime podcast from Show of Strength, presented by Sheila Hannon. Each episode, in conversation with a knowledgeable guest, uncovers the city’s most notorious stories: pirates and press gangs, public executions and body snatchers, corruption, colonial violence and the blurred line between legal power and crime.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">This isn’t sanitised heritage. It’s storytelling rooted in rigorous research from the company that brings Bristol’s past to life on the streets every week.  It’s also told with a great deal of humour to lighten the darkness.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Created to complement Show of Strength’s acclaimed Theatre Walks in Bristol and Bath, the series blends theatre, archive and conversation — asking not just what happened, but who benefited, who suffered, who got to write the history</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">If you love dark history, true crime, and stories with teeth told with humour then this is for you — welcome aboard.</span></p>\n<p><b>Show of Strength</b></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Founded in 1986, Show of Strength is a Bristol-based theatre company specialising in bold, intelligent work rooted in local history.  The company created the theatres at the Hen&amp; Chicken (1989) and Tobacco Factory (1998).</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Non theatre spaces, promenade performances and long-running Theatre Walks across Bristol and Bath - Show of Strength animates real places with real stories — revealing the drama hidden in plain sight.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Work combines meticulous research with theatrical storytelling, inviting audiences to walk through the past rather than simply observe it.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Full info and Theatre Walks tickets via www.showofstrength.org.uk</span></p>\n<p><b>Sheila Hannon</b></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">Sheila Hannon is a writer, performer and Creative Producer of Show of Strength Theatre Company. For decades she has researched and created performance work exploring Bristol’s hidden histories — from maritime brutality to social injustice and notorious impostors.  Drama for BBC Radio 4 includes THE FEMALE HUSBAND available on Penguin Classics.</span></p>\n<p><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">As presenter of </span><b>BRISTOL: IT’S CRIMINAL</b><span style=\"font-weight:400;\">, Sheila brings sharp curiosity, clarity, a refusal to look away from uncomfortable truths and a lot of humour. Her research underpins all of Show of Strength’s Theatre Walks, now a staple of Bristol’s cultural life.  She’s one of 10 finalists for Visit England’s Tourism Superstar 2026 award, nominated by Visit West.</span></p>","icons":[{"src":"https://deow9bq0xqvbj.cloudfront.net/image-logo/22149347/BIC_PodcastTile6_16nizz_300x300.png","sizes":"300x300","type":"image/png"}]}