Standard Issue Podcast

Gus van Sant’s black comedy gave Nicole Kidman the opportunity to show her villainous chops to mid-90s audiences. It also took a swipe at a media-obsessed America. But 30 years on, does it feel a bit old hat to modern audiences? What was it trying to say about ambitious women? And bitches – be they crazy? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Iron Ladies is a new documentary about the women of the 1984-85 Miners’ Strike, a time in which working-class women who found themselves at the forefront of a battle against the British state. They fast became the backbone of the fight: organising pickets; keeping families fed, and raising cash to continue the strike. As Lorraine Stansbie and Kate Flannery – two of those redoubtable women – tell our Mick, it changed them. And not only them; it’s fair to say their actions reshaped the landscape of political activism for working-class women forever.  Iron Ladies is currently showing in cinemas across the UK and Ireland.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following her success with Princess Essex and the previous two chapters of Ghost Stories…by Candlelight, Anne Odeke has joined forces with High Tide theatre company to co-write Even More…Ghost Stories by Candlelight. The joint production, with Pentabus Theatre, is currently touring both the east and, indeed, west of the country. Jen chats to Anne about the production, urban explorers, and her crazy year, post-Princess Dinubolu. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Catherine Clarke's new book - and accompanying Radio 4 series - A History of England in 25 Poems, tackles the big issues. And the smaller ones, too. Hannah chats to her about how poetry has helped shape our view of England and whether that view is accurate, as well the importance of local history and her role as the Director of Victoria County History. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

If you're planning a trip to Europe or to leave your bike at a train station, or both, Hannah and Jen have got big news this week. Also, there's a new Archbishop of Canterbury, a woman no less. Who exactly? Doesn't matter. Or so it seems. You know who is good for clicks though? Taylor Swift. Best mention her a few times. Plus there's a lot of football commentator chat and a lot of women's football in Jenny Off The Blocks.  The Flicking episode on Pan's Labyrinth is here: https://podcasts.apple.com/ca/podcast/sim-ep-689-flicking-21-pans-labyrinth/id1080808404?i=1000547941828 Rev Martine Oborne's Guardian piece is here: https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2025/oct/05/archbishop-of-canterbury-sarah-mullally-change Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

In her play Not Your Superwoman, Emma Dennis-Edwards tackles the sometimes tricksy relationship between mums and daughters.  She chats to our Mick about complex intergenerational dynamics, the expectations on mums, intergenerational trauma, the shifting nature of ‘motherland’, and how exciting it is to work with talent as big as Letitia Wright and Golda Rosheuvel. Not Your Superwoman is at the Bush Theatre, London, until November 1, but is currently fully sold out. Fingers firmly crossed for a transfer.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Following an epic summer of women’s sport, the UEFA Women’s Champions League is back, starting on October 7 and broadcast in its entirety on Disney+. Jen catches up with commentator Vicki Sparks to find out more about bringing the women’s game to the House of Mouse, who Vicki’s backing in this year’s tournament, and how hard it really is to commentate on live sport. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

With an awards-bothering central performance from Eka Chavleishvili, Elene Naveriani’s adaptation of Tamta Melashvili’s 2020 novel got smashing reviews across the board. Set in a small, remote village in Georgia, the film brings us Etero, a single, middle-aged woman whose quiet, insular life is exploded by a near-death experience and a sexual awakening.  But is Etero isolated or independent? How mean can women feasibly be to one another? Is it a sexy film? And will talking about it prove too much for Mick’s pronunciation abilities? Yeah, that last one’s rhetorical. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Mick and Jen tackle this week’s news, which finally (FINALLY!) finds Labour kicking the ball towards a goal – and not even an own goal – in moves* that will annoy both racists and people who like kids living in poverty. There’s also an Old Missus, some classic Mick pronunciation, Jen cheering sportswomen all over the shop, and some nuns. Obviously. *Probably. If the wind doesn’t change direction. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices

Is Sidney Lumet's 1975 bank robbery drama of its time? Or years ahead of its time? Or still pretty relevant to today? Or all of it? Find out as we watch Al Pacino Al Pacino-ing it to the max as the mob cheers him on. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices