Best John Bloomfield Podcasts (2024)

1
Goldsmith on gangs 54:11

1h ago54:11

54:11

As the Government ramps up its war on crime, Justice Minister Paul Goldsmith joins us to talk anti-gang laws and why the Attorney-General made no “specific statements” on whether late changes to them further breach human rights. Also on the agenda, the possible unintended consequences of tougher sentences, boot camps and keeping coalition promises …

1
A New Settlement for a Better Society | ep. 111 1:11:36

1d ago1:11:36

1:11:36

The 2024 general election result brings a welcome relief to UK politics. But now, we find ourselves at a crossroads: things are either going to get very much worse or very much better. There is no middle way. Neither the state, nor business, nor civil society can go it alone and bring about a better world – we have to do it together. That means hav…

1
Titus Andronicus: 'Vengeance Is In My Heart, Death In My Hand' 34:54

1h ago34:54

34:54

Episode 135: Is Shakespeare’s early tragedy more than just a gore-fest? The first performance of the play, maybe The three playing troupes involved with the play Is the play a collaboration with George Peele? The popularity of violence in plays The sources for the play A brief summary of the play The establishing of characters in the first act The …

1
Adventures In Theatre History - Philadelphia: The Book 11:03

1h ago11:03

11:03

A short word from my good podcasting friend Peter Schmitz, he of the ‘Adventures In Theatre History Philadelphia’ podcast, who has written a book on that very subject and I’m sure that it will be as informative, as amusing and generally as fascinating as his podcast episodes always are. What is even better is that Peter has produced a short audio t…

1
Democratic or dangerous: What you need to know about developments with the Treaty Principles Bill 1:13:19

1d ago1:13:19

1:13:19

ACT’s push for a Treaty Principles Bill was a lightning rod throughout last year’s election campaign and has never been far from the headlines since. This week has seen significant developments - the principles released with changed wording, the select committee ‘debate’ period set for six months and official advice criticising the plan revealed. B…

1
Shakespeare, the Bible and Dorothy L Sayers: A Conversation with Jem Bloomfield 42:36

4d ago42:36

42:36

Episode 134: Author Jem Bloomfield joins us to talk about his recently published book, ‘Allusion in Detective Fiction’, which looks at how and why allusion to Shakespeare and the Bible was used by the masters, or I should say mistresses, of golden age detective fiction. This may not seem like an obvious area when considering the pervasive influence…

1
Talking tax - and the rest - with Labour leader Chris Hipkins 1:15:53

8d ago1:15:53

1:15:53

Chris Hipkins was our very first guest one year ago. He was Prime Minister then - a lot’s changed. After leading Labour to electoral defeat, he and the party have regrouped and started formulating the platform they hope will return them to the Beehive. On his birthday (as well as ours), Hipkins joined us for a candid interview. We talked policy, po…

1
The Taming of the Shrew: ‘No Profit Grows Where No Pleasure Is taken’ 38:32

11d ago38:32

38:32

Episode 133: The complications with dating the play and it’s relationship with a similar Elizabethan play The sources for the play A short summary of the play The Christopher Sly framing device Switching of roles in the play The disguise motif The motivations of the leading characters The implication of the falconry images in the play The Elizabeth…

1
SOS - Save Our Stores: Behemoths of fashion, retail and hospo join forces to solve the sectors in crisis 54:06

15d ago54:06

54:06

Retail spending is lower than during the GFC. Retailers are going to the wall more than any other business and Retail NZ’s latest survey shows 43% of businesses are unsure they’ll survive another year. In hospo, a swathe of high-profile restaurants have shuttered and last year - for the first time in two decades - the number of cafes and restaurant…

1
Richard 3rd at Shakespeare's Globe 22:28

18d ago22:28

22:28

Episode 132 My thoughts on seeing a recent production of Richard 3rd at Shakespeare's Globe, starring Michelle Terry in the titular role. The production and the cotrovercy that surrounded it raises questions about gender fluid casting, the nature of leadership and the casting of able bodied actors in this famous portrayal of deformity. Support the …

1
Champion or showman: An extended interview with Shane Jones 52:27

23d ago52:27

52:27

New Zealand First's de facto deputy is a self-proclaimed champion of the regions and unashamedly pro-mining, fishing and forestry. His hobbies include waging war on supermarkets, banks and - this week in particular - energy companies. We wanted to speak to him after the fiery showdown at Tūrangawaewae Marae, where the Government was accused of thro…

1
Richard 3rd: 'And Thus I Clothe My Naked Villainy' 33:35

1M ago33:35

33:35

Episode 131: Richard 3rd: ‘And Thus I Clothe My Naked Villainy.’ Shakespeare dramatises the life of the last Plantagenet king and create one of theatre's most spectacular villains. The dating of the play The quarto editions of the play When is a history play a tragedy, or not? The sources of the play The influence of Seneca Other contemporary versi…

1
Sir Ashley Bloomfield on the health of our health service 1:05:58

1M ago1:05:58

1:05:58

In an exclusive interview, perhaps the most famous health figure in Aotearoa takes aim at talk of a failing system and bloated bureaucracy - but doesn’t dispute that both staff and patients are at risk. He talks hospitals without doctors, how the reforms have been handled, funding, patient equity - and has strong words about the tobacco industry an…

1
The search for Richard 3rd: A Conversation with Mathew Morris 40:10

1M ago40:10

40:10

Episode 130: Mathew Morris talk to me about the archaeological dig that resulted in the discovery of the final remains of Richard 3rd, which serves as a prelude to the next episode which will be all about Shakespeare’s take on the final Yorkist king. Towards the end of our conversation, we spoke about the differences between the Richard of the play…

1
Can he fix it? How new health kingpin plans to resuscitate a system in crisis 1:09:35

1M ago1:09:35

1:09:35

After losing confidence in the leadership and financial acumen of Health New Zealand-Te Whatu Ora, the Government has parachuted in an all-powerful specialist to fix the broken service. Health Commissioner Lester Levy has his work cut out - long waiting lists, budget woes, staff shortages, protests, doctorless hospitals, ramping ambulances, police …

1
Henry 6th part 3: ‘How sweet a thing it is to wear a crown.’ 33:22

1M ago33:22

33:22

Episode 129: A brief recap on the dating and sources of the play A brief synopsis of the play The problem of multiple battlefield scenes and the depiction of violence How language in the play is used to underline the changing fortunes of the two sides. The depth of strong characterisation in the play Warwick, the would-be kingmaker Henry as an earl…

1
‘These questions are revolting’ - an interview with Children’s Minister Karen Chhour 53:59

2M ago53:59

53:59

The welfare of children, particularly the at-risk and vulnerable, is rarely far from the headlines. The Royal Commission report on abuse in care, the opening of the Government’s pilot youth justice facility (AKA military-style academy) ((AKA bootcamp)), cuts to Oranga Tamariki community providers … we had a lot to ask the Children’s Minister. We ra…

1
John Hall of Stratford-Upon-Avon: A Conversation with John Taplin 40:26

2M ago40:26

40:26

Episode 128: Author John Taplin discusses researching the Stratford families of Shakespeare's time and particularly the ancestry of John Hall, Shakespeare's son-in-law. John Taplin spent the majority of his career in management in the telecommunications industry until 2001 when he joined the Shakespeare Birthplace Trust at Hall’s Croft and Nash’s H…

1
Power to the People w/ Danny Sriskandarajah | ep. 110 58:45

2M ago58:45

58:45

Support the show Enjoyed the podcast and want to be a live audience member at our next episode? Want to have the chance in raising questions to the panelist? Support our work and be a part of the Compass community. Become a member! You can find us on Twitter at @CompassOffice.By Compass

1
Money, morale and mobsters: An extended interview with Police Minister Mark Mitchell 1:11:30

2M ago1:11:30

1:11:30

As the fallout from an acrimonious pay dispute continues, frontline cops told the Tova pod this week that the Government had “destroyed morale”. The minister responsible fronts to talk about rebuilding the relationship, how the gang unit is shaping up, delivering 500 extra cops and who’ll attend mental health callouts if not the police. Plus, in th…

1
Bonus opinion: 'This is the worst of us' 2:46

2M ago2:46

2:46

Tova offers her thoughts on the outcome of the Royal Commission of Inquiry into abuse in care.By Stuff Audio

1
Henry 6th part 2: ‘The Fox Barks Not When He Would Steal the Lamb’ 33:32

2M ago33:32

33:32

Episode 127: A recap of Henry VI part one and the potential involvement of Christopher Marlowe A word on methods of authorship attribution in the context of Shakespeare and Marlowe The dating and sources of the play A synopsis of Henry VI part two The characterisation of the War of the Roses The decline of England mapped out in the play The main ch…

1
Despatch from D.C. - a game-changing fortnight in US politics 45:49

2M ago45:49

45:49

Wow. They say a week is a long time in politics. In the United States, the last two have seen the political landscape change perhaps forever. Bullets, conventions and nominations on the Republican side; presidential gaffes, Covid and calls for a new leader in the Democrat corner. Rolling Stone magazine political reporter Nikki McCann Ramirez joins …

1
Shakespeare’s Borrowed Feathers: A Conversation with Dr. Darren Freebury-Jones 46:14

2M ago46:14

46:14

Episode 126: A conversation with Dr. Darren Freebury-Jones, author of 'Shakespeare’s Borrowed Feathers' about the influence of early modern playwrights on Shakespeare where we talk about Marlowe, Kyd, Greene and others and the role of data analytics in modern author attribution studies. Dr Darren Freebury-Jones is author of several works on early m…

1
Election Results Special w/ John Harris and Laura Parker | ep. 109 1:03:38

2M ago1:03:38

1:03:38

On the 4th July people across the country went to the polls for a long overdue, and bloody complicated, General Election. Labour ended up with a mammoth majority and the Tories were left with just 121 seats. But beyond the headline figures, there was a huge amount going on beneath the surface. This election produced one of the most disproportionate…

1
Henry 6th part 1: ‘My Thoughts Are Whirled Like a Potter's Wheel’ 32:33

2M ago32:33

32:33

Episode 125: A detailed look at the first Shakespearean history play 'Henry 6th part 1' The problems with dating 1 Henry VI How much of the play did Shakespeare write? The relationship of the play to parts 2 and 3 The sources of the play A brief summary of the play The play in relation to other history plays of the time Criticism of the battle scen…

1
Red, White and Bruised. The diabolical debate. 35:33

3M ago35:33

35:33

The first US presidential debate of 2024 was at once historic, agonising, painful and deeply troubling. Have your toes unfurled? Your stomach un-knotted? Your wince de-winced? Joe Biden and Donald Trump putting the fear of god into the free world in what was a truly tough watch with, unfortunately, such incredibly high stakes. To discuss what on ea…

1
'To Gender or Not to Gender': A Conversation With Margaret Oakes 34:15

3M ago34:15

34:15

Episode 124: A conversation with Margaret Oakes about the book 'To Gender or Not to Gender: Casting and Characters for 21st Century Shakespeare’ which explores ways in which gender is being reinterpreted by British and North American productions since the turn of the millennium. After an initial chapter outlining recent gender theory, which is very…

1
An extended interview with Chloe Swarbrick 41:04

3M ago41:04

41:04

2024 has been tough for the Greens. Multiple MPs - Golriz Ghahraman, Darleen Tana, Julie Anne Genter - have been making headlines for the wrong reasons and there have been heartbreaking challenges, including the death of Fa'anānā Efeso Collins and Marama Davidson’s breast cancer diagnosis. On her birthdfay, co-leader Chloe Swarbrick makes time for …

1
How will populism shape the next parliament w/ Jon Bloomfield | ep. 108 1:02:32

3M ago1:02:32

1:02:32

With Labour far ahead in the polls our attention turns to where the opposition from the Left will come from. We need to look no further than Nigel Farage and Reform UK – who could use the parliamentary base of Clacton to enact a shift to national populism of the kind we are now seeing in Italy, France and Germany. To discuss the very real threat of…

1
Hunt, Grenfell and the Satyr Play 30:56

3M ago30:56

30:56

Bonus Episode 36: Sometimes things conspire against the podcaster, as has happened to me in the last couple of weeks, meaning that I have not been able to get the promised episode up to scratch in time. To make up for this and fill the gap I have created an episode that goes back to Greek theatre. It looks at that most mysterious of the ancient Gre…

1
Going nuclear: Weapons, war and whether to debate our nuke-free stance 1:08:50

3M ago1:08:50

1:08:50

The battle lines are being (re)drawn in the world of geopolitics: wars in Europe and the Middle East, tension over Taiwan, Putin visiting North Korea. So, more than three decades after the Cold War ended, what are the chances of a nuclear war? How could it start, play out - and how would New Zealand be affected? And, with Aussie politicians procuri…

1
William of Stratford, a Coda: The History of New Place 27:34

3M ago27:34

27:34

Episode 123: The Origins of New Place The Clopton’s of Stratford-Upon-Avon The first house at New Place Hugh Clopton and his support for Stratford William Clopton William Bott and murder at New Place (maybe) William Underhill sells New Place to Shakespeare William Underhill and his son Faulk (another murder) The New Place of Shakespeare’s time The …

1
Scams, fraud and deception: Are we tough enough on white collar crime? 1:22:13

3M ago1:22:13

1:22:13

No one knows exactly how much fraud costs New Zealand each year, but it runs into the billions. Yet significantly fewer people are being convicted than two decades ago. Why? And is the system - an alphabet soup of agencies with a range of responsibilities - fit for purpose? In a specially extended investigation, victims share stories of devastating…

1
General Election Special | ep. 107 57:37

3M ago57:37

57:37

On this special general Election issue of Its Bloody Complicated we are delighted to be joined by Guardian columnist Aditya Chakrabortty. We’ve admired Aditya’s writing and reporting for years and have been keen to get him on. Aditya doesn’t just critique what’s wrong in terms of the economy, society and politics – he actively goes out and finds pl…

1
William of Stratford part 4: ‘With Mirth and Laughter Let Old Wrinkles Come.’ 37:15

3M ago37:15

37:15

Episode 122: The fourth and final part of the biography of Shakespeare. The rise of Shakespeare as actor and playwright for the Lord Chamberlain’s Men. ‘The Comedy of Errors’ performed at Grey’s Inn, ‘the night of errors.’ The influence of the inns of court. Plays for special occasions. Francis Meres’ comments on Shakespeare. Shakespeare’s involvem…

1
The Afterlife of Anne Hathaway: A Conversation with Prof Katherine Scheil 26:42

4M ago26:42

26:42

Episode 121: For this episode I’m very pleased to welcome Katherine Sheil, Professor of English at the University of Minnesota for the second part of our conversation about Anne Hathaway, based around her book ‘Imagining Shakespeare’s Wife: The Afterlife of Anne Hathaway’. In this part we went on to talk about the different views of Anne in fiction…

1
Big Budget Special 38:46

4M ago38:46

38:46

Happy Budget Day! The Tova pod takes you behind the scenes at Parliament as Nicola Willis unveils the Government's first bash at the books. We bring you expert reaction from inside the lock-up, the zingers and stingers from the debate, reaction from our panel of everyday Kiwis and, in an interview with Stuff, the Finance Minister explains how she g…

1
William of Stratford Part 3: ‘Would I Were in an Alehouse in London’ 33:44

4M ago33:44

33:44

Episode 120: The lost years of Shakespeare’s early life have given space for some myths and legends to grow over the centuries, before we can trace a few facts of his early life in London. The myth of Shakespeare and the Crab-tree. The myth of Shakespeare the deer slayer. Nicholas Rowe – the first editor of Shakespeare. The Queen’s men in Stratford…

1
Bills, bills, bills and the Budget 56:41

4M ago56:41

56:41

With the cost of living crisis hitting hard, we assemble a panel of Kiwis doing it tough or feeling the pinch in what politicians love to call the squeezed middle. We ask how they're coping and what they're hoping for in next week's Budget. And, with rising food prices the great unifier, we check out the work of the Grocery Commissioner - the man c…

1
Local Elections w/ Ben Walker and Alison Lowe | ep. 106 1:02:23

4M ago1:02:23

1:02:23

On Tuesday, 14th May we were joined by Ben Walker and Alison Lowe to analyse the campaigns and the results of the 2024 local elections, and reflect where we are coming up to a general election. Ben Walker is a senior data journalist at the New Statesman and writes extensively about elections and UK public opinion. He is the co-founder of poll aggre…

1
Imagining Shakespeare’s Wife: A Conversation with Prof Katherine Scheil 29:39

4M ago29:39

29:39

Episode 119: For this episode I’m very pleased to welcome Katherine Sheil, Professor of English at the University of Minnesota. Katherine is Author of several books about Shakespeare, but today we particularly talk about her book about Shakespeare’s wife called ‘Imagining Shakespeare’s Wife: The Afterlife of Anne Hathaway’. It is a fascinating exam…

1
TikTok: The antisocial network? 58:41

4M ago58:41

58:41

What started as the home of song and dance videos is beset by claims of spying by the Chinese government and fears about the mental health of young users. A cybersecurity authority whose company cracked the TikTok code reveals how much data it collects and what it does with it. And, if you’ve noticed kids behaving differently after too much screen …

1
William of Stratford Part 2: 'He Wears The Rose of Youth Upon Him' 35:13

4M ago35:13

35:13

Episode 118: Shakespeare's youth, his school days, religious life and marriage. A couple of corrections to the last episode on John Shakespeare The Shakespeare family's domestic set up. Religion and the life of a child in the late 1500's Examples of how William's education in Stratford may have looked. Anne Hathaway and her family history. William …

1
Not Three Waters 1:06:49

5M ago1:06:49

1:06:49

This week a deep dive into water. We all need it - clean drinking water, working sewerage systems and somewhere for stormwater to go. But with buggered pipes and faeces at the beach, we’ve been getting it woefully wrong for far too long. In the wake of Three Waters, will we really pay less for better services? We tap the man leading the Government’…

1
That Shakespeare Life: A Conversation with Cassidy Cash 25:39

5M ago25:39

25:39

Bonus Episode 35: A conversation with Cassidy Cash, producer and host of 'That Shakespeare Life', the podcast that interviews expert historians to explore people, events, and objects that were living or happening in Shakespeare’s lifetime. Cassidy Cash is a Shakespeare historian, historical map illustrator, and host of That Shakespeare Life, That S…

1
The week politics completely blew its gasket 5:35

5M ago5:35

5:35

This is an audio version of Tova O'Brien's analysis piece titled The week politics completely blew its gasket, from stuff.co.nzBy Stuff Audio

1
The return of the alternative coalition 1:04:37

5M ago1:04:37

1:04:37

In the white heat of last year’s coalition negotiations, when none of the party leaders would talk about their top-secret meetings, we convened an alternative. We brought together a senior figure connected with each of the three parties poised for power. You loved the show, and they were prescient in their predictions, so, six months into the Gover…

1
AI and Democracy | ep 105 59:34

5M ago59:34

59:34

Over the last few years, the potential of artificial intelligence (AI) to transform our society has become increasingly apparent. This comes with incredible opportunities – AI could help deepen our democracy and enable our politics to get closer to citizens to represent them more effectively – but is also fraught with risk. How can we take advantag…

1
William of Stratford Part 1: 'To You Your Father Should Be As a God’ 33:20

5M ago33:20

33:20

Episode 117: ‘To you your father should be as a God’. - A Midsummer Night’s Dream – Act 1 Scene 1 The first of a series of episodes covering the biography of William of Stratford. Richard Shakespeare – William’s grandfather Richard Shakespeare – William’s uncle John Shakespeare – William’s father His move to Stratford Upon Avon His trade as a glove…

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