Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week we lean into that strange, in-between season — when winter lingers, spring teases, and the city begins to stir once more. From the quiet reflection of Covent Garden’s Actors’ Church to the tidal rhythms of the Thames, we explore how London — and perhaps all of us — finds its way from darkness into light.

Kevin is joined by Reverend Simon Grigg, rector of St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, affectionately known as The Actors’ Church. Together they uncover the remarkable history of a parish that has cared for London’s performers since the 17th century — from the licensed playhouses of Charles II to the plaques of theatre legends that line its walls today. But beyond the history, the conversation turns to something more immediate: how we navigate the bleakness of late winter, the meaning of Lent, and why this season isn’t about “organised gloom” at all, but renewal, joy, and finding space for reflection in a world that rarely pauses.

From the pulpit to the riverbank, we head down to the Thames foreshore with our resident mudlark Sean Clark. Among the shingle, a small fragment of Tudor pottery reveals a brilliant piece of theatrical history — and the origin of the phrase “box office smash”. It’s a story that takes us back to Shakespeare’s London, where money boxes were quite literally smashed open at the start of a performance. Another reminder that beneath the surface of the city, history is always waiting to be found.

Then it’s time to pop into the local for a quick Pub Quiz, testing your knowledge of Theatrical Superstitions. From the curse of The Scottish Play to the traditions performers follow to keep fate on their side, this round celebrates the rituals and folklore that still shape life on stage.

So as the days grow longer and the light begins to return, wherever you find yourself — emerging from winter or stepping into something new — there’s always a place for you in The Big Smoke.

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Pub Quiz: Theatrical Superstitions – Answers

1. The Macbeth curse ritual - Tradition says that if someone says “Macbeth” inside a theatre they must leave the theatre, spin around three times, spit (or curse), and knock before being allowed back in.
2. Merde - French performers wish each other “merde”. The tradition dates from the 19th century, when audiences arrived by horse-drawn carriages. A successful performance meant lots of carriages waiting outside the theatre — and therefore lots of horse manure in the street. More merde meant a bigger crowd and a successful show.
3. Whistling backstage - Many early stagehands were former sailors, and they used whistle signals to control scenery and rigging, so random whistling could accidentally trigger cues and move heavy stage machinery.

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🎭 St. Paul's Covent Garden, The Actors’ Church

🚶🏻‍♂️ Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Walking Tour

🤲🏻 Hands on History Mudlarking Exhibition

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro & Show Menu

(01:51) Reverend Simon Grigg Interview

(43:03) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find

(50:00) Pub Quiz: Theatrical Superstitions

(51:39) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week we stroll the hard streets of South London, tracing the world that shaped one of the greatest entertainers of all time, and the music halls that lit up Victorian London. Along the way we celebrate the city’s living performers too, from Underground buskers to a little magical mischief on our own audio stage.

Kevin is joined by curator and author Dr Jacqueline Riding to explore the working-class neighbourhoods that formed the young Charlie Chaplin. Drawing from her book Hard Streets: Working Class Lives in Charlie Chaplin’s London, Jacqueline reveals the vibrant, precarious world of Victorian music halls, workhouses, and the communities that produced some of the era’s most extraordinary performers. From the explosion of population south of the Thames to the gritty realities of the Poor Law system, the conversation paints a vivid portrait of the lives behind the laughter — and how creativity offered a path out of hardship.

From the stage to the subterranean, our Parish Notices turn to the buskers of the London Underground. With the help of musician Charlotte Campbell, we explore how busking transforms anonymous commuter spaces into fleeting moments of connection and community. Whether loved or loathed, street performance continues a tradition stretching back centuries — turning passing crowds into temporary audiences and ordinary journeys into something a little more magical.

Back on our audio stage, The Strange Brothers return for another attempt at mastering the mystical arts. This time a mysterious spellbook appears, an ancient incantation is unleashed, and things escalate rather more dramatically than expected. Apprentice magicians Salazar and Craig may not yet have perfected their craft — but they’re certainly finding some real magic along the way.

Finally, we pop into the local for a quick Pub Quiz, testing your knowledge of Cockney rhyming slang — the playful coded language born in the streets of 19th century London.

So wherever you’re listening from — strolling the South Bank, riding the tube, or simply daydreaming about the magic of the city — there’s always a seat waiting for you in The Big Smoke.

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Rub-a-dub (Pub) Quiz: Cockney Rhyming Slang — Answers

1. “The first question should be lemon squeezy.” Lemon squeezy = easy

2. “Watch your plates of meat. Those apples are old and rickety!” Plates of meat = feet Apples and pears (apples) = stairs

3. “Got any sausage? I’m cream crackered and need some sticky toffee.” Sausage and mash (sausage) = cash Cream crackered = knackered / very tired Sticky toffee = coffee

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Links

📚 Get the book – Hard Streets

🎩 Charlie Chaplin’s London – Lambeth Walk

✍🏼 Jacqueline Riding

🎶 Busker Charlotte Campbell

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro and Show Menu

(02:02) Dr Jacqueline Riding Interview

(57:54) Parish Notices: Underground Buskers

(1:08:12) The Strange Brothers

(1:16:57) Pub Quiz: Cockney Rhyming Slang

(1:19:06) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Parish Notices and episode research by Blanche Coy

The Strange Brothers written and performed by Jamie Sandersfield and Matthew Nicholson

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we step into the ‘undiscovered country’ — and explore the one subject we so often avoid: death. But rather than dwelling in darkness, this episode asks a more vital question: what can mortality teach us about how to live?

Kevin is joined by social historian and bereavement counsellor Dr Molly Conisbee, author of No Ordinary Deaths: A People’s History of Mortality. Together they explore how death was once woven into everyday domestic life — cared for at home, ritualised by communities, marked visibly through mourning dress and shared customs. From Victorian mourning warehouses, to Irish wakes, Jamaican Nine Nights, and the rise of the death-positive movement, Molly reflects on what we’ve lost as death moved behind hospital doors — and how reclaiming conversation, ritual, and radical acceptance might liberate us in the present.

To balance the existential weight, Archie McAlpine returns with a fresh Neuro Nugget on the science of laughter. What actually happens in the brain when we laugh? Why is it contagious? And in an age of caution and cancellation, how do we protect humour as a force for bonding, healing and social synchronisation? This is laughter under the microscope — and a timely reminder that humour is medicine.

Then, we pop to the local for a quick Pub Quiz, raising a glass to the incomparable Catherine O’Hara. From Home Alone to Best in Show and Schitt’s Creek, we test your knowledge of one of comedy’s greats.

Finally, Audio Archives opens the vault once more. In this unsettling tale from an early smart home, we meet Tristan and the ever-listening Iris. What begins as weather checks and chicken cooking queries spirals into something more revealing — a story of birthday cake, Drake playlists, and the uncomfortable truth that being truly heard might mean being truly seen.

So wherever you are on this strange and splendid rollercoaster of life, there’s always room for you in The Big Smoke.

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Pub Quiz: Catherine O’Hara the Great — Answers

1. At a funeral parlour
2. ‘God Loves a Terrier’
3. Soap opera actress

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Links

⚱️ No Ordinary Deaths by Molly Conisbee

🧠 Archie McAlpine — Neuro Nuggets

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro and Show Menu

(02:24) Dr Molly Conisbee Interview

(50:24) Archie’s Neuro Nuggets: Laughter

(57:53) Pub Quiz: Catherine O’Hara The Great

(1:00:23) Audio Archives: Hey, Iris

(1:15:19) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Audio Archives: ‘Hey, Iris’ written by Aidan Parker and performed by Matthew Nicholson and Cait Roddam Jones

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

Tonight, we look up. But also down, and within! This episode is all about the stars — not just what they are, but what they’ve meant to us across time. From ancient myths and shared human stories to cutting-edge space science, Starspotting explores how looking skyward can reconnect us to something far greater than ourselves.

We begin our mission with planetary scientist, space educator, and Saturn super-fan Dr Sheila Kanani. Drawing on her book The Starspotter’s Guide, Sheila guides us through Saturn’s rings, its extraordinary moons, black holes, alien life, and the deep links between science, mythology, and imagination. From the Cassini mission to the shared star stories told by ancient cultures thousands of miles apart, this conversation reminds us that astronomy has always been a human pursuit.

When the city lights pull us back down to Earth, we head to the River Thames to meet our resident Mudlark Sean Clark. On the foreshore near Blackfriars, Sean shares one of his most remarkable finds yet: a near-complete medieval floor tile dating back over 700 years, bearing the unmistakable Three Lions of England. From royal symbolism to the strange objects history leaves behind, it’s a reminder that even the smallest discoveries can carry enormous stories.

After a good lark by the river, we pop into the local for a pint — and a Pub Quiz. This round: Aliens in Pop Culture. From Depression-era sci-fi panic to Hollywood classics, it’s a quickfire test of your extraterrestrial expertise.

And finally, we return to the skies with poet Rishi Rian, who delivers Cabin Crew, Prepare for Landing — a surreal, funny, and quietly devastating meditation on mental health, modern distraction, and what happens when empathy runs wild at 30,000 feet.

So whether you’re stargazing, mudlarking, or simply trying to stay present on the journey — settle in, look up, and join us once again in The Big Smoke.

1) The War of the Worlds — Answer: H. G. Wells The legendary 1938 radio broadcast of The War of the Worlds was based on the novel by H. G. Wells — not to be confused with its director and narrator, Orson Welles.

2) Mars Attacks! — Answer: “We come in peace.” In Mars Attacks!, the Martians’ repeated cry of “Ack! Ack! Ack!” is translated in the film as “We come in peace” — a hilariously ironic message given that they are actively destroying everything in sight.

3) E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial — Answer: Reese’s Pieces In E.T. the Extra-Terrestrial, Elliott uses Reese’s Pieces to lure E.T. into his home. Fun fact: the filmmakers originally approached Mars (makers of M&M’s), who declined the product placement — a decision that reportedly led to a major sales boost for Reese’s Pieces after the film’s release.

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Links

🪐 Learn more about Sheila Kanani

🔭 Order The Starspotter’s Guide

🦁 Learn more about Sean Clark

🪙 2026 Mudlarking events

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro and Show Menu

(02:26) Dr Sheila Kanani Interview

(48:28) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find

(55:20) Pub Quiz: Aliens in Pop Culture

(57:04) Cabin Crew, Prepare for Landing by Rishi Rian

(1:05:47) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

‘Cabin Crew, Prepare for Landing’ written and performed by Rishi Rian

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

Tonight, we explore music, movement, and a little misfiring magic — three very different ways humans try to make sense of the world.

We begin with music, and a deceptively simple question: what, actually, is it? Kevin is joined by director, writer and composer Bill Barclay to discuss What Music Is, a project that draws together music, neuroscience and astrophysics. From the ancient idea of the “music of the spheres” to planetary orbits and harmonic relationships, the conversation explores why music exists in every culture, why it can feel deeply right in a chaotic world, and how listening — especially to live music — is the brain-spa we all need.

When the bells ring out across The Big Smoke, we head to our local village hall to check out what's pinned to the Parish Noticeboard. Today, we turn our attention to Parkrun. From its beginnings in Bushy Park to its sprint across the globe, we explore how a free, weekly 5K became a quiet cultural phenomenon.

And finally, as the fog rolls back in, we head back to our audio-stage where two apprentice magicians arrive from the Xander Eldrick Institute to complete their final examination. The Strange Brothers attempt to perform spectacular illusions on an audio-only podcast, with predictably strange results. What follows is a brand new comedy segment for 2026, where a bit of editing and imagination result in some real magic.

So listen closely, fire up those neural networks, and join us once again in The Big Smoke.

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Links

🎵 Learn more about Bill Barclay and ‘What Music Is’

🏃🏻‍♂️ Learn more about Park Run

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(01:54) Bill Barclay Interview

(46:31) Parish Notices: Park Run

(54:13) The Strange Brothers

(01:04:05) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Trappist – 1 audio clip by Shawn Feeney

Parish Notices written by Adam Wright

The Strange Brothers written and performed by Jamie Sandersfield and Matthew Nicholson

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show Christmas Special, recorded live beneath the West End at The Phoenix Arts Club.

Tonight, we gather for an old-fashioned festive tradition: ghost stories at Christmas, games played in good company, and the sense of connection that comes from gathering together at the darkest time of the year.

We begin with Charles Dickens, and a lesser-known seasonal tale from The Pickwick Papers: The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton — a darkly comic story of Gabriel Grubb, a gravedigger who despises merriment and is forced to confront what it means to sneer at the joy of others. From there, the live show unfolds with crackers pulled, paper crowns donned, groan-worthy jokes judged, and the mysteriously hidden Christmas Pickle, promising good fortune to whoever spots it first. Music fills the room thanks to the Lewisham Creative Chorus, performing original festive material, while Sean Clark the Mudlark shares a true ghostly tale about a trade token from the Thames foreshore, and its link to the famous diarist Samuel Pepys.

After a suitably Dickensian Pub Quiz, the night darkens with one of the most unsettling Christmas ghost stories ever written: Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Old Nurse’s Story, read by Rachel Pickup — bleak, wintry, and deliciously spine-tingling. We then consult Dr Quack, whose hysterical and historically accurate medical treatments come back to haunt him. We hear some of our audience’s favourite Christmas memories, the pickle is finally revealed, and we leave the live space behind for one final reflection: a meditation on the restless spirit of one of the original pantomime dames, Dan Leno, who may never have quite left the theatre on Drury Lane.

So pour yourself something warm, listen closely, and join us beneath the glittering West End. Merry Christmas, and we’ll see you soon in The Big Smoke.

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Chapters

(00:00) Christmas Memories

(02:14) Intro

(03:30) The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton

(17:28) Christmas Crackers

(21:00) Lewisham Creative Chorus

(30:37) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find

(42:15) Pub Quiz: The Three Spirits

(48:51) The Old Nurses Story

(1:04:21) Dr Quack

(1:14:48) Christmas Memories

(1:16:13) The Ghost of a Pantomime Dame

(1:22:16) ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ sung by Lewisham Creative Chorus

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

Original theme music by Giles Terera, arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

The Old Nurses Story by Elizabeth Gaskell adapted by Cait Roddam Jones and performed by Rachel Pickup

Dr Quack written and performed by Jolyon Coy

Many thanks to our musical guests Thomas Guthrie and the Lewisham Creative Chorus with Outcry Ensemble, Vox Urbane's Vox Genesis programme, Lydia Kenny, Francesca Collyer-Powell, Jessica Anderson, Jess Mollie and Mike Veazey

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we slip into the strange, funny and quietly revealing world of anthropomorphism — the very human habit of seeing minds, motives and meaning everywhere we look.

First, Kevin pulls up a chair with scientist and bestselling author Justin Gregg, whose book Humanish explores why we dress up our dogs, get too attached to inanimate objects, and sometimes find ourselves arguing with ChatGPT. From friendly alligators to fauxnads, Justin explains how attributing human qualities to animals, objects and AIs can make us smarter, kinder — and occasionally a little delusional.

On our Parish Noticeboard, we trade the clamour of the city for the steady rhythm of cut tile and grout at the Hackney Mosaic Project — a place where volunteers piece together hope, community and colour one tiny tile at a time. It’s a gentle reminder that creativity can be a holiday from your own head, and that some of the city’s most moving artwork has a deeper story behind it than you might think.

Then Audio Archives returns with a newly unearthed — and increasingly unhinged — festive radio commercial featuring vanished 80s icon Jay Gladrock. What begins as a simple cereal advert soon descends into chaos, ego, and nut-based wordplay. It may well be the last surviving recording of Gladrock before he disappeared from public life entirely. Listener theories are, as ever, welcome.

Finally, we round things off with a festive Victorian Parlour Game: The Minister’s Cat. Straight from Fezziwig’s Christmas gatherings, this classic game of quick wits and alphabetical adjectives is your guaranteed cure for a post-turkey slump!

So settle in as we wander from curious minds to tiny tiles, from lost legends to lively language — all here in The Big Smoke.

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Links

🧠 Justin Gregg – Website

📘 Humanish by Justin Gregg – Book

🎨 Hackney Mosaic Project – Official Site

📚 Tessa Hunkin’s Hackney Mosaic Project – Book

🍁 Maple Leaf or Make Believe – CBC Video

🍁 Maple Leaf or Make Believe – CBC Article

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(01:35) Pub Quiz: Maple Leaf or Make Believe

(02:35) Justin Gregg Interview

(49:24) Parish Notices: Hackney Mosaic Project

(57:05) Audio Archives: Unreleased Commercial

(1:10:49) Victorian Parlour Games

(1:13:00) Live Christmas Show

(1:14:20) Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answers

(1:15:24) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

Original music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Audio Archives written by Aidan Parker and performed by Jamie Sandersfield, Matthew Nicholson and Cait Roddam Jones

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

We’re slipping a little audio chocolate into your advent calendar: the true origin of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, plus a reading of the original 1939 story that made him a star. A festive treat from The Big Smoke family to start the holiday season.

This piece was created by our host Kevin Bennett and is starring actors Adam Cunis and Hollie Hales. It warmed the hearts of the audience at our 2024 Christmas live show, so we wanted to share it with you as you open the first door of your advent calendars!

If you'd like to join the fun at our live show this year, click the link below for info and tickets.

Happy Holidays from The Big Smoke Variety Show!

🎟️ The Big Smoke LIVE Christmas Special is at The Phoenix Arts Club in Soho on 14th December, 2025 — expect ghost stories, games, music and festive mischief.

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(00:30) How Rudolph Came To Be

(05:27) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer

(17:10) 2025 Live Christmas Show

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

Original music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

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