Share
Betwixt The Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society
The REAL Charles Dickens with Miriam Margolyes
Ep. 188
•
Joining us today is writer, actor and all-round Charles Dickens superfan Miriam Margolyes.
You might be familiar with Dickens' hugely popular stories and characters, but what influence did the women in his life have on them?
Having written and starred in the play, Dickens Women, Miriam knows better than most the complicated relationships he had in his life: from his mother who took him out of school to work in a rat-infested blacking factory aged 12, to his wife whom he had a bookcase wall built to separate her from him.
How did Dickens take revenge on one lover for scorning him earlier in his life? How does Miriam square Dickens the man vs. Dickens the artist? And how did Dickens portray lesbian love?
Find out more about Miriam's tour this year, Oh Miriam!, here.
This episode was edited and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.
Enjoy unlimited access to award-winning original documentaries that are released weekly and AD-FREE podcasts. Get a subscription for £1 per month for 3 months with code BETWIXT - sign up at historyhit.com/subscribe.
You can take part in our listener survey here.
More episodes
View all episodes
353. Alexander the Great's Mummy Issues: Olympias
01:01:13||Ep. 353They say behind every great man is a great woman. In this episode, we meet the woman behind Alexander the Great's success. From securing his status, to influencing his succession, Olympias was a force to be reckoned with.Kate is joined for this episode by Tristan Hughes, host of our sister podcast, The Ancients.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.352. Histories Worst F*ckboys: Charles II
44:49||Ep. 352Our mini-series exploring the worst f*ckboys in history is back!In today's episode, Kate is joined by Dr. David Taylor of Oxford University to get to know the so-called Merry Monarch and the many women in his life.Was it better to be married or be a mistress to Charles II? How many lovers did he really have? And was Restoration England as fun as it sounded?This episode was edited by Amy Haddow and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer is Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.351. Shag, Marry, Kill: Roman Emperor Edition
35:10||Ep. 351Which would be better for a fling, which would you not touch with a barge pole, and which is marriage material? There's only one way to find out.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.350. Origins of Virginity
49:18||Ep. 350From luring in unicorns to protecting the Roman Empire, myths have surrounded virginity for centuries. But is virginity itself a myth?In this episode from the archive, Kate speaks to Anke Bernau about where the so-called cherry comes from, what it stands for and why it has been important throughout history.*WARNING there are mentions of sexual assault in this episode*Produced by Charlotte Long and Sophie Gee. Mixed by Peter Dennis.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: The History of Sex, Scandal & Society. A podcast by History Hit.349. How Hot Was Henry VIII?
45:27||Ep. 349With SIX wives, Henry VIII must have had something going for him, right? Was he handsome? Charming? Intelligent? Just plain powerful?In this episode, Kate is joined by Professor Suzannah Lipscomb, host of our sister podcast Not Just the Tudors. They discuss the vanity of Henry VIII, his sporting prowess, and his injuries. Listen to discover just how terrible this Tudor king smelt.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall and produced by Sophie Gee. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link, and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.348. The Real Virgin Mary
42:05||Ep. 348Why has the idea of the Virgin Mary’s virginity been so important?What does this tell us about the relationship between Christianity and sex? And what else do we know about this woman?Joining Kate today to help her get to know more about Mary, her life and her influence is author and historian Sir Diarmaid Macculloch.This episode was edited by Tim Arstall. The producer was Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link - https://www.britishpodcastawards.com/voting - and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.347. How Wild Were The Last Days Of Rome?
40:17||Ep. 347As Rome fell, was it really non-stop orgies and parties?That's become a popular connotation, and in today's episode Kate is joined by historian and friend of the show Emma Southon (https://www.emmasouthon.com) to find out what was happening on the ground as the Roman empire crumbled.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link, and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.346. The Strangest Tudor & Stuart Aphrodisiacs
38:05||Ep. 346Forget oysters, have you tried eating sparrows with a side of phallic vegetables to stir your lust?!Getting in the mood isn’t just a modern preoccupation, but the reasons behind it have definitely changed throughout the centuries. What aphrodisiacs were people using in the Early Modern period? Who were the authorities on this? And how was witch craft involved?!Joining Kate today is author and historian Dr. Jennifer Evans to help us find out. This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link, and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.345. Did Henry VI Have A Sex Coach?
48:08||Ep. 345Henry VI didn't fit the medieval image of masculinity, or that much of a king, either.Who gave sex education to someone of this stature? How did his controversial marriage to the French Margaret of Anjou effect his reputation? And what problems were they facing in the bedroom?Joining Kate today is author and historian Lauren Johnson to help us get to know this misunderstood medieval monarch.This episode was edited by Tom Delargy and produced by Stuart Beckwith. The senior producer was Charlotte Long.Please vote for us for Listeners' Choice at the British Podcast Awards! Follow this link, and don’t forget to confirm the email. Thank you!Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. You can take part in our listener survey here.All music from Epidemic Sounds.Betwixt the Sheets: History of Sex, Scandal & Society is a History Hit podcast.