BRISTOL: IT’S CRIMINAL
Bristol made its fortune on trade, empire, rebellion — and sometimes outright criminality.
BRISTOL: IT’S CRIMINAL is a dark history and true crime podcast from Show of Strength, presented by Sheila Hannon. Each episode, in conversation with a knowledgeable guest, uncovers the city’s most notorious stories: pirates and press gangs, public executions and body snatchers, corruption, colonial violence and the blurred line between legal power and crime.
This isn’t sanitised heritage. It’s storytelling rooted in rigorous research from the company that brings Bristol’s past to life on the streets every week. It’s also told with a great deal of humour to lighten the darkness.
Created to complement Show of Strength’s acclaimed Theatre Walks in Bristol and Bath, the series blends theatre, archive and conversation — asking not just what happened, but who benefited, who suffered, who got to write the history
If you love dark history, true crime, and stories with teeth told with humour then this is for you — welcome aboard.
Show of Strength
Founded in 1986, Show of Strength is a Bristol-based theatre company specialising in bold, intelligent work rooted in local history. The company created the theatres at the Hen& Chicken (1989) and Tobacco Factory (1998).
Non theatre spaces, promenade performances and long-running Theatre Walks across Bristol and Bath - Show of Strength animates real places with real stories — revealing the drama hidden in plain sight.
Work combines meticulous research with theatrical storytelling, inviting audiences to walk through the past rather than simply observe it.
Full info and Theatre Walks tickets via www.showofstrength.org.uk
Sheila Hannon
Sheila Hannon is a writer, performer and Creative Producer of Show of Strength Theatre Company. For decades she has researched and created performance work exploring Bristol’s hidden histories — from maritime brutality to social injustice and notorious impostors. Drama for BBC Radio 4 includes THE FEMALE HUSBAND available on Penguin Classics.
As presenter of BRISTOL: IT’S CRIMINAL, Sheila brings sharp curiosity, clarity, a refusal to look away from uncomfortable truths and a lot of humour. Her research underpins all of Show of Strength’s Theatre Walks, now a staple of Bristol’s cultural life. She’s one of 10 finalists for Visit England’s Tourism Superstar 2026 award, nominated by Visit West.