Writer and theatre-maker Rae Mainwaring was in her early 20s when she was diagnosed with Mutiple Sclerosis – MS as it's commonly known. All she knew of the autoimmune condition at the time was that every single representation she’d seen of it on TV was one of abject misery, which, ultimately, was not her experience of MS. Some years later, she wrote about her experiences in Bright Places, her Peggy Ramsay award-winning play and a deeply personal and authentic exploration of the condition. Jen caught up with Rae ahead of a tour of Carbon Theatre’s production of Bright Places to talk about chronic illness, misunderstandings around MS, and getting into theatre later in life. Bright Places is touring the UK until December 13 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

There used to be a time when it was said you were better to seek medical treatment from your wife or your mother than from a doctor, because at least your wife or mother wouldn't kill you. And then it all changed. Hannah chats to Professor Karen Bloom Gevirtz about her book, The Apothecary's Wife: The Hidden History of Medicine and How It Became a Commodity, to find out more.  The Apothecary's Wife: The Hidden History of Medicine and How It Became a Commodity is out to buy on November 7, 2024 Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Big news in the world of "how can that STILL be going on?" as both the Tory leadership election and the US Election enter their final days. Who will lose? Maybe all of us. Meanwhile, bus fares are going up and so is minimum wage but won't these just cancel each other out? In Sexism of the Week, we continue to let the side down by not having enough babies. And speaking of the next generation, in that she's young enough to be your daughter, Jen's got words for a basketball legend in Jenny Off The Blocks. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Wondering what medieval women did for us anyway? Or how we even know what they did, given back then only the monks could write? Then get yourself to the British Library's new exhibition, Mediaeval Women: In Their Own Words. Jen caught up with the exhibition’s curator Ellie Jackson to find out how much we have in common with our medieval ancestors, and why they remain relevant to our lives today. Medieval Women: In Their Own Words is showing at the British Library until March 2, 2025. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Literary critic and feminist historian Joanna Scutts’s latest book, Firebrands, showcases 25 pioneering women writers you should have heard of – but probably haven’t. Why? Well, in this episode, Joanna’s chatting to our Mick about the whys, the whos, the what’s changed, what’s not changed and the trouble that kicks off when women start having ideas.  Firebrands: 25 Pioneering Women to Ignite Your Reading Life is published by Duckworth and out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Kate Summerscale’s bestselling narrative nonfiction The Suspicions of Mr Whicher was made into big telly, starring Peter Capaldi and unraveling a murder that took place in the 1860s. Her latest book is much more recent history, however, and in The Peepshow: The Murders at 10 Rillington Place, she revisits the crimes of John Reginald Halliday Christie, one of Britain’s most notorious serial killers, putting flesh on the bones of his female victims and looking at the role played by the sensationalist media of the time. She chats to Mick about all of the above, what Christie’s crimes said about Britain at the time, how much – if at all – anything’s changed, and why true crime is still such popular entertainment. The Peepshow: The Murders at Rillington Place is published by Bloomsbury and out now. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick and Jen are on news duty this week, talking cynical steps – or is it honourable intentions? – as social media companies try to get to grips with the Online Safety Act. Elsewhere, there are smiling faces aplenty outside Strangeways, as the Labour Government grapples with its inherited crumbling prison system. Thank the gods of whimsy that Paddington Bear is on hand to cheer us all up. Not Jen, though. He makes her cry. Also, there’s contraceptive chaos in Sexism of the Week, and some baffling sponsorship in Jenny Off the Blocks. Meanwhile the boss, Sarah Millican, is back for our £5 and above Patreon subscribers, offering some light relief around the gendered use of language. You can find the BPAS petition Mick talks about in this episode here. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is The Last Seduction your average "bitches be crazy" film? Why no more roles for Linda Fiorentino? Can anyone bear that much jazz? The answers to these and many more questions lay within. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

After the success of last year's Ghost Stories by Candlelight tour, HighTide Theatre is back with a new production – More... Ghost Stories by Candlelight – showcasing four up-and-coming writers, including Eloise Pennycott. Jen chatted with the actor, writer and theatre maker about the production’s tour of the East of England - which is also showing at The Globe, starting on October 30 - as well as sustainable theatre, representation of deaf people in the arts, and why we love being scared. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Life in plastic: is it fantastic… to watch? Greta Gerwig’s star-studded Barbie was one of THE big-hitters in cinema last year and, according to critics across the globe, wasn’t just pink and sparkly and fun, but came with a big ol' side of feminism. But did it, though? Did it? Hmmm. Mick, Hannah and Yosra will be the judge and jury of that.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Quadrophenia is a tale of young male angst and multiple wing mirrors, and is apparently the reason Jen's brother used to wear a cravat. But is it a case of style over substance? And is a game of "spot the young character actor" enough to keep us interested? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

How long does it take to sink in that you've won the Edinburgh Comedy Award? That's one of the questions Hannah is putting to comedian Amy Gledhill, who scooped the big prize this year for her show Make Me Look Fit on the Poster. They chat about the difference between self-confidence and self-esteem, local news and a lot more. If you want to see Make Me Look Fit on the Poster, which is touring now, you can get tickets here: https://amygledhill.co.uk/live-dates Or for Amy's 12-day run at London's Soho Theatre, here: https://sohotheatre.com/events/amy-gledhill-make-me-look-fit-on-the-poster-2/ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Holloway women’s prison closed its doors in 2016, but the legacy left behind looms large for those who spent time there. As part of an exercise in healing, filmmakers Daisy-May Hudson and Sophie Compton took a group of six women who were imprisoned in Holloway back there. Their feature documentary Holloway, an examination of the criminal justice system in England and Wales, is the result. Jen caught up with Daisy-May and Sophie to talk about the ways in which women are failed by the system, and the need for more compassion in our discourse around the prison system. Holloway is premiering at the London Film Festival Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you find yourself with some hours to fill with telly, then let us help you make some good choices. This time, we're talking about Slow Horses, The Perfect Couple, Ludwig, Only Murders In The Building, Joan, Apples Never Fall, Kaos and more.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With MPs set to vote on a bill that puts forward proposals to give terminally ill people the right to end their lives, many of those who are against the bill worry about the lack of nuance put forward in debates. Actress and disability rights activist Liz Carr is one of those people. In this week’s Bush Telegraph, ahead of the bill’s introduction to parliament next week, Hannah chats to Liz about her documentary Better Off Dead?, the arguments against assisted dying, and why we aren’t hearing a more balanced debate on the subject. Meanwhile in sport, Jen catches us up with the women’s T20 World Cup, and looks ahead to the UCI Track Cycling World Championships, next week. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick’s picked one of her all-time favourites this week: 1979’s Life of Brian. And she’s not alone in loving this funny AF biting commentary about the danger of mass movements and the inherent weakness of any faith or ideology that eschews critical thinking, which still regularly tops ‘best comedy film’ lists.  But do Hannah and Jen feel the same? Does the Pythons controversial at the time satire stand the test of time? And is Mick still legally bound to Michael Palin? Find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Musician Pauline Black is best known as the frontwoman of 2-tone band The Selecter, and wrote about her experiences in the band and life in her memoir Black by Design: A 2-Tone Memoir. On reading her book, filmmaker Jane Mingay was inspired to get in touch with Pauline and the result of their collaboration is the new documentary, Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story, which is showing at the London Film Festival. Jen caught up with Pauline and Jane to chat about Pauline’s experiences, the impact of the 2-Tone movement, and why it is so relevant to what’s going on at the moment in modern British – and global - politics. Pauline Black: A 2-Tone Story is showing at the London Film Festival on October 12 and 19. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Feminist, activist and best-selling author Laura Bates first came to attention as a fierce feminist voice 12 years ago when she started the Everyday Sexism Project. She’s since written a slew of brilliant, if enraging, non-fictions about how women and girls are treated, and quite rightly become a bona fide icon.  In this episode, she’s chatting to our Mick about the grim state of the world when it comes to male violence against women and girls, how she holds onto hope, why she’s reimagining the Arthurian legends in her YA novels Sisters of Sword and Shadow and Sisters of Fire and Fury, and the importance of finding feminist joy. Oh, and how she’s a dab hand at horseback archery these days. Sisters of Fire and Fury is published by Simon & Schuster on October 10. www.laurabates.co.uk Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Actor, playwright and Essex girl Anne Odeke was thrilled when she learnt about little-known historical figure Princess Dinobolu, the first woman of colour to enter a beauty pageant in the UK. Her reimagining of what led the “princess” to take to the stage at Southend-On-Sea’s Kursaal back in 1908 forms the basis of Princess Essex, the play she wrote and is currently starring in at The Globe. Fellow Essex girl Jen, caught up with Anne to talk about the play, Essex, identity, and learning from Shakespeare's mistakes. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick and Jen are on Bush Telegraph duty this week, and turning the colour of a Gen Z bathroom suite as they look at what’s happening at the Conservative Party Conference. Mick’s been watching Panorama’s episode about the menopause industry and screaming BUT WHY into a pillow, while Jen’s reliving one of her best moments being holy watered by a vicar during the 2008 London Marathon. The Boss, Sarah Millican, is back with some more Light Relief for our £5 and above Patreons, talking wet undereyes and bad Magnums. SOTW looks at some predictable tragic news from the US thanks to the overturning of Roe v Wade. And JOTB applauds Eni Aluko while giving Joey Barton’s head a wobble. Which is why you can hear rattling. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices