The Ballad Of Anne & Mary

It's 1721, and London is abuzz with news of notorious pirates Anne Bonny and Mary Read, currently languishing in Newgate Prison. It’s the perfect time for debt-ridden journalist Nathaniel Mist to exploit the public appetite and ghost-write a sensational (and hopefully best-selling) history of pirates. But as the balladeers and gossips on the streets of London build myths around the blood-thirsty, perverse lady pirates, Mist is forced to reckon with the real Bonny & Read...The Ballad of Anne & Mary is an audio-adventure in five parts, starring musical sensation Christina Bianco, comedian and singer Sooz Kempner, Hamilton star Karl Queensborough, cabaret legend Le Gateau Chocolat, and more. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Researching for his book on piratical history, cash-strapped journalist Nathaniel Mist arrives at Newgate Prison to interview the two notorious survivors of the captured ship Revenge. He finds Mary Read delirious with fever, and Anne Bonny in no mood for smalltalk. What will he have to bargain in exchange for their stories? Featuring Christina Bianco as Anne Bonny, Sooz Kempner as Mary Read, Karl Queensborough as Nathaniel Mist, John Henry Falle as Jonathan Barnet, Carole Stennett as Bess the Ballad Singer, Dominic Brewer as John Bonny and the Gatekeeper, James Ducker as Turnkey Scratby, Laurence Owen as Daniel, William Cormac and additional voices, Lindsay Sharman as Barbara and additional voices, Colette Boushell as Anne’s Mother, Helen Fullerton as Mrs Cormac and additional voices. Further additional voices by Hayley Evenett and Ivan Wilkinson. Written by Lindsay Sharman. Directed by Lindsay Sharman and Laurence Owen. Music, Sound Design and Editing by Laurence Owen. Artwork by Rebecca Pitt. Sensitivity Reading by Ray Stoeve. Produced by Long Cat Media. Episode 2 is released on May 6th. For transcripts and additional info about this podcast and our other productions, visit http://www.longcatmedia.com/ (www.longcatmedia.com) You can support Laurence and Lindsay by buying them a coffee! Donate a one-off or monthly gift at http://www.ko-fi.com/longcatmedia (www.ko-fi.com/longcatmedia), and get exclusive bonus and behind the scenes content. Follow us @LongCatMedia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and also @BalladAnneMary on Twitter. This podcast was supported by funding from Arts Council England, the UEA Enterprise Scheme, and our Ko-fi patrons.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Previously: Journalist Nathaniel Mist arrives at Newgate Prison to interview Anne Bonny and Mary Read for the book he is co-writing with Jonathan Barnet, the privateer who captured the pirates' ship Revenge. Unexpectedly, Barnet decides not to visit the pirates, and the two agree to meet at King's Coffee House later that night. Mist discovers that Read is ill with a fever, so he turns his attention to Bonny. After much clashing, Bonny declares that she will only tell her story if Mist passes letters between her and Read. He reluctantly agrees. She begins with her early life - growing up a bastard child in a cruel house, and running away at an early age with her new husband John Bonny to the pirate stronghold Nassau. She also tells Mist of Read's time in the British army, where she went by 'Mark Read', and her ensuing love for fellow soldier, Daniel. In this episode: Their deal now struck, Anne Bonny tells Nathaniel Mist of her arrival in Nassau, where she leaves her double-crossing husband and joins Jack Rackham's crew. When raiding an English passenger ship, they take a new recruit: an enigmatic soldier who calls himself 'Mark Read'. Meanwhile, Mist finds himself trapped in another deal with Jonathan Barnet, who asks him to probe the pirates for details about Rackham's buried treasure. Featuring Christina Bianco as Anne Bonny, Sooz Kempner as Mary Read, Karl Queensborough as Nathaniel Mist, Le Gateau Chocolat as Capt Jack Rackham, John Henry Falle as Jonathan Barnet, Dominic Brewer as John Bonny and additional voices, Laurence Owen as Captain Graham, the Old Man, Wilkins, Daniel and additional voices, Madame Magenta as Moll King, Hayley Evenett as Bob, Helen Fullerton as the Landlady, and Ivan Wilkinson as Thomas and additional voices. Further additional voices by Lindsay Sharman. Produced by Long Cat Media. Episode 3 is released on May 13th. For transcripts and additional info about this podcast and our other productions, visit http://www.longcatmedia.com/ (www.longcatmedia.com) You can support Laurence and Lindsay by buying them a coffee! Donate a one-off or monthly gift at http://www.ko-fi.com/longcatmedia (www.ko-fi.com/longcatmedia), and get exclusive bonus and behind the scenes content. Follow us @LongCatMedia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and also @BalladAnneMary on Twitter. This podcast was supported by funding from Arts Council England, the UEA Enterprise Scheme, and our Ko-fi patrons.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Previously: Anne’s story continues with her arrival at Nassau, and her discovery that her new husband John Bonny is a government informant. She promptly leaves him, and enlists with Captain “Calico” Jack Rackham, who, she is amazed to discover, allows women in his crew. Meanwhile, Nathaniel Mist’s deal with pirate hunter Jonathan Barnet grows murkier, as Barnet insists Mist press the pirates into revealing the whereabouts of their buried treasure. Anne then tells Mist of how they captured an English ship, aboard which the soldier “Mark” Read was a passenger. Read outs the ship’s captain as a cruel tyrant, and asks to join the crew of the Revenge, along with young cabin boy Bob. But Mist is most surprised to learn that among Rackham's crew was none other than one Jonathan Barnet... In this episode: on the Revenge, the frosty-but-curious relationship between Anne & Read comes to a head as they battle it out in a fiery sparring match, Mist begins to reap the consequences of printing seditious letters in his newspaper, and Barnet incites a mutiny on the Revenge... Featuring Christina Bianco as Anne Bonny, Sooz Kempner as Mary Read, Karl Queensborough as Nathaniel Mist, Le Gateau Chocolat as Capt Jack Rackham, John Henry Falle as Jonathan Barnet, Carole Stennett as Bess the Ballad Singer, Laurence Owen as Dobbin, Turnkey Peters and additional voices, Hayley Evenett as Bob and Wren, James Ducker as Turnkey Scratby, Dominic Brewer as Fenwick, Ivan Wilkinson as Thomas and additional voices, and Boomer as the ship's cat, Captain Crackles. Further additional voices by Lindsay Sharman. Produced by Long Cat Media. Episode 4 is released on May 20th. For transcripts and additional info about this podcast and our other productions, visit http://www.longcatmedia.com/ (www.longcatmedia.com) You can support Laurence and Lindsay by buying them a coffee! Donate a one-off or monthly gift at http://www.ko-fi.com/longcatmedia (www.ko-fi.com/longcatmedia), and get exclusive bonus and behind the scenes content. Follow us @LongCatMedia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and also @BalladAnneMary on Twitter. This podcast was supported by funding from Arts Council England, the UEA Enterprise Scheme, and our Ko-fi patrons.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.

Previously: On board the Revenge, the frosty-but-curious relationship between Bonny and Read comes to a head, as they clear the air with a heated sparring match. Read decides to reveal that she was born Mary, not Mark. Meanwhile, some weeks have passed, and Nathaniel Mist is on good terms with the pirates. Read, who has rallied from fever, chastises Mist for endangering himself with his seditious newspaper, Mist’s Weekly Post, which he is using to publish inflammatory letters under the name Captain Charles Johnson. Suddenly, Turnkey Scratby, furious that Anne has stabbed a ‘punter’ with one of Mist’s pencils, demands that he leave Newgate. Mist refuses, and the Turnkeys knock him unconscious. In his dream, we flashback to the Revenge, where Barnet attempts to invoke a mutiny, but is beaten in a duel by Read and forced to flee the ship. In this episode: Bob comes to Mist in a dream, and shows him the capture of the Revenge, Barnet reveals his true colours, Mist finds help in an unlikely ally, and Anne hatches a plan... Featuring Christina Bianco as Anne Bonny, Sooz Kempner as Mary Read, Karl Queensborough as Nathaniel Mist, John Henry Falle as Jonathan Barnet, Carole Stennett as Bess the Ballad Singer, Laurence Owen as Dobbin, Turnkey Peters and additional voices, Hayley Evenett as Bob and Wren, James Ducker as Turnkey Scratby, Lindsay Sharman as Gin-Soaked Jenny and additional voices, Helen Fullerton as the Landlady, and Ivan Wilkinson as Turnkey Gregory. Further additional voices by Dominic Brewer. Produced by Long Cat Media. Episode 4 is released on May 27th. For transcripts and additional info about this podcast and our other productions, visit http://www.longcatmedia.com/ (www.longcatmedia.com) You can support Laurence and Lindsay by buying them a coffee! Donate a one-off or monthly gift at http://www.ko-fi.com/longcatmedia (www.ko-fi.com/longcatmedia), and get exclusive bonus and behind the scenes content. Follow us @LongCatMedia on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook, and also @BalladAnneMary on Twitter. This podcast was supported by funding from Arts Council England, the UEA Enterprise Scheme, and our Ko-fi patrons.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoicesSee Privacy Policy at https://art19.com/privacy and California Privacy Notice at https://art19.com/privacy#do-not-sell-my-info.