A sun-soaked island nation known for its music, culture and stunning natural beauty. A shadow war of spies, sabotage and survival. A revolutionary leader turned strongman dictator, beloved by his supporters yet loathed by his enemies.
This is the story of Fidel Castro from cradle to grave and the country he called home.
Welcome to Cuba. Welcome to Fidel Castro: Trouble in Paradise.
Brought to you by award-winning podcasters, Noiser. Narrated by Paul McGann with contributions from eyewitnesses and expert historians. As featured on Real Dictators.
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Artwork based on an original photograph by Yousuf Karsh.
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The end arrives. Embarrassed at a baseball game, the Maximum Leader responds with arrests and intimidation. We hear first-hand testimony from a Cuban on the receiving end of the violence. A nasty public fall and a painful ordeal in the air show that age and illness are catching up with the dictator. But even as a change of leadership finally takes place, can Cuba ever truly be free from Fidel?
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Michael Bustamante, Anthony DePalma, Lillian Guerra, Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Ileana Yarza.
This is Part 10 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
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28 Jun 2026
9. Down With Fidel!
After a tragedy in the Florida Straits, a dramatic tug of war takes place between Castro and America - all centred on a five-year-old boy. A new leader in the Soviet Union comes to power with fresh ideas which terrify Fidel. The Berlin Wall crumbles, putting Cuba on the brink. As riots break out in Havana, rebellion is in the air...
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Alvaro Alba, Michael Bustamante, Anthony DePalma, Lillian Guerra, Irene Lopez Kuchilan, Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Rogelio Martinez.
This is Part 9 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
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21 Jun 2026
8. Miami Vice
When a bomb goes off on a south Florida street, it bears all the hallmarks of a Cuban expert. Castroland is going international. As exiles flock to Miami, Fidel sets off on a globe-trotting mission - meeting Colonel Gaddafi in Libya and dispatching troops to Angola. But back at home, not everything is rosy. And when a bus driver rams his vehicle through the gates of an embassy, Castro will encounter a problem unlike any he’s ever faced before…
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Michael Bustamante, Nicholas Griffin, Peter Kornbluh, Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Rogelio Martinez, Rick Morales.
This is Part 8 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
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14 Jun 2026
7. Che Guevara in the Jungle
Castro sets out to create a breed of “new people” - turning Cuba into an island of mini-Fidels. A particular dairy cow becomes a national treasure and hot dog vendors are declared counter-revolutionary, as things get surreal. Fidel’s own sister flees, declaring Cuba a “floating prison”. And as one of the dictator’s right-hand men is killed, the revolution will be rocked to its foundations…
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Michael Bustamante, Carlos Eire, Lillian Guerra, Peter Kornbluh, Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Alex von Tunzelmann, Ileana Yarza.
This is Part 7 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
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7 Jun 2026
6. The Cuban Missile Crisis
The first man in space arrives in Cuba for a special visit. A passenger liner from the Soviet Union docks in Havana. But it’s not carrying tourists. Out in the countryside a massive yet mysterious construction project begins. Stranger-than-fiction plans are put in motion as the CIA tries everything to assassinate Fidel. And as Khrushchev and Castro take the most daring of gambles, the whole world holds its breath…
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Alvaro Alba, Mervyn Bain, Carlos Eire, Peter Kornbluh, Alex von Tunzelmann, Ileana Yarza.
This is Part 6 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp, Matthew Peaty | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
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31 May 2026
5. The Bay of Pigs
A man who was right there tells us the tale of one of history’s most notorious military failures. Castro’s former lover is given a handful of poison capsules and dispatched to Fidel’s hotel. A Havana schoolboy crosses his fingers as the American bombing begins. And a young activist prepares to do whatever it takes to repel the impending invasion...
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Carlos Eire, Peter Kornbluh, Monica Mercedes Perez Jimenez, Alex von Tunzelmann, Ileana Yarza, Eduardo Zayas-Bazan.
This is Part 5 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
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24 May 2026
4. Havana’s TV Star
Castro goes on a victory parade, eventually arriving in Havana on top of a tank. Vengeance is wrought on the old dictator’s supporters, as the new leader moves into the Hilton hotel. Fidel takes a trip to Washington - for a sit-down with Richard Nixon. And a regime insider tells us how he turned his back on Castro, only to pay the price...
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Carlos Eire, Lillian Guerra, Jonathan Hansen, Jennifer Lambe, Alex von Tunzelmann, Ileana Yarza, Eduardo Zayas-Bazan.
Special thanks to University of Miami Libraries for the use of the Huber Matos archive.
This is Part 4 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva, Rob Plummer | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
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17 May 2026
3. The Mountain Guerrillas
While Batista tries to convince the world that Castro is dead, Fidel regroups in the mountains. The world’s press descends on Cuba, hoping to meet this elusive rebel, and Fidel is only too happy to grant everyone interviews. Meanwhile, in Havana, Batista’s sick son helps to save him from assassination. But his grip on the island is slipping…
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Anthony DePalma, Carlos Eire, Lillian Guerra, Jonathan Hansen, Jennifer Lambe, Alex von Tunzelmann, Ileana Yarza.
Special thanks to University of Miami Libraries for the use of the Huber Matos archive.
This is Part 3 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay, Anisha Deva, Rob Plummer | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening, bonus material and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
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10 May 2026
2. Shipwrecked in the Swamps
Castro wrestles with Marxism and begins another affair. Attempting to reignite the revolution, he swims naked across the US border. At a get-together in Mexico City, he strikes up a rapport with a scruffy Argentine known as “Che”. Together, in a battered old boat, they will set sail for Cuba - to bring the fight to Batista…
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Michael J. Bustamante, Carlos Eire, Lillian Guerra, Jonathan Hansen, Irene Lopez, Alex von Tunzelmann, Eduardo Zayas-Bazan.
This is Part 2 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay and Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network, join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
3 May 2026
1. Rise of ‘The Crazy One’
Fidel Castro - a revolutionary turned strongman dictator, beloved by his supporters and loathed by his enemies. The bête noire of the United States who pushed the world to the brink of annihilation. The ultimate political survivor who evaded hundreds of barely believable assassination attempts. We scroll back to the early years of the one they would call El Loco. It all begins on a farm in the east of Cuba - an island paradise with dark undercurrents swirling beneath the surface…
A Noiser podcast production. Narrated by Paul McGann.
Featuring Michael J. Bustamante, Carlos Eire, Lillian Guerra, Jonathan Hansen, Peter Kornbluh, Jennifer Lambe, Rogelio Martinez, Orlando Luis Pardo Lazo, Alex von Tunzelmann, Ileana Yarza, Eduardo Zayas-Bazan.
Special thanks to University of Miami Libraries for the use of the Huber Matos archive.
This is Part 1 of 10. As featured on Real Dictators.
Written by Edward White | Produced by Ed Baranski and Edward White | Exec produced by Joel Duddell | Sound supervisor: Tom Pink | Sound design & audio editing by George Tapp | Assembly editing by Dorry Macaulay and Anisha Deva | Compositions by Oliver Baines, Dorry Macaulay, Tom Pink | Mix & mastering: Cian Ryan-Morgan | Recording engineer: Joseph McGann.
For ad-free listening and early access to shows across the Noiser podcast network join Noiser+. Click the subscription banner at the top of the feed or go to noiser.com/subscriptions (http://noiser.com/subscriptions)
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy (https://acast.com/privacy) for more information.
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