The Big Smoke Variety Show

Exploring Britain’s Living Room: Your Local Pub!

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!
This week, we raise a glass to Britain’s most beloved institution — the pub — and explore how these living rooms of London connect history, community and creativity in ways as rich as any museum or gallery.
First, our guests pull up a stool: its pub historian Charo Havermans and artist Lydia Wood. Together they explore how pubs began in the hands of women, why they became vital community “third spaces,” and how a good pub can feel like stepping into someone else’s living room — or even stepping back in time. 
On our Parish Noticeboard, we wander from one place of warm company to another —  Hoxton Hall. A Victorian music hall with over 160 years of creativity, care and community under its rafters. Once home to circus acts and performing dogs, now home to a powerful Creative Health Initiative.
After all that history (and a few imaginary pints), it’s time to consult our hilarious and historical Doctor Quack, who finds himself called upon to assist with a delivery — a job he isn’t entirely equipped for.
Finally, we catch our breath with Archie’s Neuro Nuggets, as he strolls through Battersea Park to explain the soothing science of white, pink and brown noise — the perfect counterbalance to the lively chorus of the pub.
So pull up a chair, pour yourself your favourite pint, and join us as we wander from bar rooms to music halls, from questionable medicine to calming soundscapes — all here in The Big Smoke.
🎟️ The Big Smoke LIVE Christmas Special is at The Phoenix Arts Club in Soho on 14th December — expect ghost stories, games, music and festive mischief.
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(01:38) Pub Quiz: Kings Head or Kings Bed?
(02:30) Charo Havermans and Lydia Wood Interview
(51:46) Parish Notices: Hoxton Hall
(58:47) Dr Quack
(1:06:58) Live Christmas Show
(1:08:27) Archie’s Neuro Nuggets
(1:14:28) Pub Quiz Answers
(1:16:31) Outro
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Links
📚 Locals – Pre-order Lydia Wood’s Book
🗓️ Lydia Wood – 2026 Pub Calendar & Website
🎨 Lydia Wood – Instagram
🍺 Book a Historic Pub Tour with Charo Havermans
📸 Charo Haverman – Instagram
🍻 Back Behind the Bar: Pub Landladies of East London
🎭 Hoxton Hall
🐊 Dr Quack – Crocodile Dung Contraceptive 
🥛 Dr Quack – Milk Blood Transfusion 
🧠 Archie McAlpine – Neuro Nuggets
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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
Dr Quack written and performed by Jolyon Coy

The Royal Institute of Philosophy: Unlocking Minds for 100 Years

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!
This week, we explore philosophy, freedom, and the peculiar ways we find meaning — from the quiet depths of the soil to the bustling banks of the River Thames.
First, Kevin is joined by Professor Edward Harcourt, Academic Director of The Royal Institute of Philosophy, celebrating its centenary year. Together they ask: what is philosophy, really? How can it help us think, question, and live better? Edward shares how puzzlement, not wonder, is where true philosophy begins — and what the institute’s mission, real philosophy for everyone, meant in 1925 and what it means today.
On our Parish Noticeboard, we dig into the curious world of worm charming — the ancient, oddly musical art of luring earthworms from the soil. With the help of worm expert Dr Kevin Butt, we learn how this humble tradition connects communities, science, and the secret lives beneath our feet. 
Then, we turn to one of The Royal Institute of Philosophy’s most inspiring outreach projects — Unlocking Minds, a prison education programme co-founded by Paul and Dan. Through pop music and film, they bring philosophy into prisons, sparking reflection, debate, and discovery in places where freedom of thought is most deeply desired.
Finally, our resident Mudlark Sean Clark brings us to the River Thames to reveal his latest find — a centuries-old quant, better known as the “non-sexy end of a barge pole”. It’s a muddy reminder that London’s history is always just below the surface, waiting to be unearthed.
So pull up a chair, pour yourself something puzzling, and join us as we dig into ideas, earth, and everything in between in The Big Smoke.
🎟️ The Big Smoke LIVE Christmas Special is coming to The Phoenix Arts Club, Soho – 14th December. Expect ghost stories, lively games, seasonal music and festive mischief.
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(01:27) Pub Quiz: Maple Leaf or Make Believe
(02:27) Edward Harcourt Interview
(32:05) Live Christmas Show
(33:35) Parish Notices: Worm Charming
(43:06) Unlocking Minds: Philosophy in Prisons Interview
(1:15:46) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find
(1:20:07) Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answers
(1:21:31) Outro
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Links
💫 Become a Patron – Unlock Your Backstage Pass
🧠 The Royal Institute of Philosophy
🪱 World Worm Charming Championships – Willaston
🪱 Blackawton International Festival of Worm Charming – South Devon
📚 Worm by Dr Kevin Butt
🍁 Maple Leaf or Make Believe Article
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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
 

The Humanity of Ghosts

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!
This week, we wander through London’s haunted past, uncover the humanity behind history’s ghost stories, and rediscover how kindness, comedy, and curiosity connect us all. From spectral legends to small acts of light in the dark, this episode celebrates the strange and the sincere in equal measure.
First, Kevin is joined by historian and author Dr Maddy Pelling — host of After Dark — for a walk through the strange, true story of the Hammersmith Ghost. Together they unearth the 1800s case that blurred the line between myth and murder, ask why ghosts so often reveal the living more than the dead, and explore how our fears have always found form in flickering candlelight.
Then, on our Parish Noticeboard, we turn from frights to generosity with the story of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF — the Halloween tradition that began with a few milk cartons and became a global movement. 
After that, we open the Audio Archives to dust off a peculiar relic from the 1990s: the first ever bum dial. Part séance, part sitcom, it’s proof that even ghosts can appreciate good signal.
Finally, the Victorian Parlour Games return with Ring My Gourd! — glowing rings, good humour, and just the right amount of Halloween mischief.
So pour yourself something warm, get comfortable, and join us for a night of hauntings, humour and history in The Big Smoke.
🎟️ The Big Smoke Christmas Special is coming to The Phoenix Arts Club, Soho – 14th December. Expect ghost stories, lively games, seasonal music and festive mischief. 
💬 Follow, review, and share the show with a friend — and remember: may your ghosts be friendly, and your gourds well-ringed.
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(1:42) Pub Quiz: Trick-or-Trivia!
(2:43) Maddy Pelling Interview
(58:45) Live Christmas Show 
(1:00:04) Parish Notices: Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
(1:08:02) Audio Archives: Bum Dial
(1:22:43) Victorian Parlour Games
(1:24:57) Pub Quiz Answers
(1:27:11) Outro
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Links
🎓 Learn more about Dr Maddy Pelling
📚 Pre-order Maddy’s upcoming book Hoax
🎃 75 Years of Trick-or-Treat for UNICEF
🇬🇧 UNICEF UK
🌍 UNICEF International
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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 Aidan Parker, Cait Roddam Jones and Kevin Bennett

The Season of Fear

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!
This week, we walk through the fog of fear, meet courage on the street corners of London, and follow the rivers that carry us home.
First up, Kevin sits down with historian and author Robert Peckham to ask what it really means to live with fear. From the “dizziness of freedom” to the way algorithms mirror our anxieties, Robert explores how fear shapes everything from politics to art—and why it might be the key to understanding hope itself.
On the Parish Noticeboard, we pick up a copy of The Big Issue and uncover the story behind one of Britain’s most remarkable social enterprises—where every magazine sold is a step toward dignity and independence. In doing so, we meet André Rostant, a vendor whose voice reminds us that courage isn’t found in headlines, but in the quiet persistence of those rebuilding their lives one sale at a time.
Then, we cross the ocean from the Thames to the Bulkley River, where our new Canadian Correspondent Taninli Wright introduces us to the Wet’suwet’en Nation. Her retelling of an ancestral story, How the Daylight and Lakes Had Come, reminds us that light and belonging are always worth reclaiming.
Finally, as the fire crackles and the tea steeps, comedian and philosopher Alex Farrow joins us with his musings on fear, humour, and the rituals that help us laugh in the dark.
So settle down as the nights draw in, courage flickers in the lamplight, and the stories of The Big Smoke come alive.
Don’t forget to follow the show, leave us a 5-star review, and share this episode with a friend. Until next time—keep the kettle warm and the lights low. We’ll see you soon in The Big Smoke.
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Links
✨ Become a Patron and unlock your Backstage Pass – Support the show and access exclusive perks, behind-the-scenes updates, and early live show tickets.
📝 Take our quick listener survey – Share your thoughts for a chance to win a prize!
📚 Learn more about Robert Peckham – Explore his work and book ‘Fear: An Alternative History of the World.’
📰 Discover The Big Issue – Find out how the magazine is changing lives across the UK.
📖 Read André Rostant’s book – The Muffin Man – A moving collection of reflections from a Big Issue vendor.
🎭 Visit Stand-Up Philosophy – The show where comedians and philosophers meet on stage.
😂 Follow Alex Farrow – Explore his latest shows, writing, and tour dates.
🍁 Maple Leaf or Make Believe – The Real Headline – Read the true Canadian story behind this week’s Pub Quiz!
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(01:36) Pub Quiz: Maple Leaf or Make Believe
(02:35) Robert Peckham Interview
(45:04) Parish Notices: The Big Issue
(52:38) Canadian Correspondent Taninli Wright
(1:01:46) Standup Philosopher Alex Farrow
(1:09:35) Maple Leaf or Make Believe answers
(1:10:41) 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
 

The Philosophy of Board Games

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!
This week, we roll the dice under the Harvest Moon, sail the seven seas with wacky shipmates, and curl up with stories that feel like home.
First up, Kevin sits down with author Caroline Taggart to explore the timeless pastime of board games. From Monopoly meltdowns to horse-racing favourites lost to history, Caroline reveals why games aren’t just entertainment—they’re anthropology, philosophy, and sometimes even a mirror of society itself.
On the Parish Notice Board, we turn our eyes skyward to the Royal Observatory Greenwich, celebrating 350 years of stargazing. From the Harvest Moon to the birth of Greenwich Mean Time, discover how the mysteries of the cosmos have guided farmers, explorers, and dreamers for centuries.
Then we venture out to sea with our resident GP Doctor Quack, who returns with another round of jaw-dropping (and occasionally stomach-turning) medical “breakthroughs”. From goat’s testicle transplants to jars of bottled wind, they’re history’s strangest cures brought vividly (and hilariously) back to life.
Finally, Archie’s Neuro Nuggets makes a cosy return to remind us why rewatching our favourite sitcoms isn’t procrastination at all—it’s a spa day for your neurons.
Oh! And don’t miss our Victorian Parlour Game of the week – Checkers Go Bang!
Don’t forget to follow the show, leave us a 5-star review, and share this episode with a friend who loves a quirky story. Until next time—roll the dice, reap the harvest, and don't sniff anything in a jar! We'll see you soon in The Big Smoke.
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Links
✍🏼 Fill out our short survey for a chance to win a copy of The Philosophy of Board Games! Take the survey
✨ Become a patron and unlock your Backstage Pass: https://patreon.com/TheBigSmokeVarietyShow
📗Caroline Taggart’s book - The Philosophy of Board Games
🌙 Royal Observatory Greenwich
📘Louise Devoy’s book - Royal Observatory Greenwich: A History in Objects
🧠Archie McAlpine Associates
🩺Dr. Quack’s Medical Treatments:
🐐Goat Testicle Transplant
💨 Farts in a Jar
🐋Whale Carcass Treatment
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(01:40) Pub Quiz: Board Games Trivia
(02:25) Caroline Taggart Interview
(45:54) Parish Notices: Harvest Moon
(53:47) Dr. Quack
(1:02:25) Archie's Neuro Nuggets
(1:08:42) Victorian Parlour Games: Checkers Go Bang
(1:10:09) Pub Quiz Answers
(1:11:58) Outro
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Credits
Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin BennettProduced & Edited by Alex GrahamAssistant Produced by Adam WrightOriginal music by Giles TereraMusic arranged and played by Joseph AtkinsDr. Quack written and performed by Jolyon Coy
 

A Mime Breaks Her Silence

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!
This week, we move between silence and sound, ruins and renewal, stars in the sky and treasures in the mud.
First up, our Pub Quiz heads to the true north strong and free for “Maple Leaf or Make Believe: Pizza Edition”. From syrup-soaked slices to bears with strong topping opinions, can you spot the real Canadian headline?
Then Kevin sits down with legendary theatre-maker Wendy Gorling to explore the true meaning of mime. From training in Paris at École Jacques Lecoq, to co-creating groundbreaking productions like The Overcoat, to a surprise appearance as the very first infected human in HBO’s The Last of Us, Wendy’s story reveals how physical presence and imagination can transform both stage and screen.
On the Parish Notice Board, we visit St Ethelburga’s Centre for Reconciliation and Peace. Destroyed by an IRA bomb in 1993, this 800-year-old London church has been rebuilt as a hub for community, connection, and healing—an extraordinary symbol of resilience and hope in the heart of the city.
Next, Kevin takes us to his childhood summer haunt Shawnigan Lake in British Columbia, where the clarity of the night sky inspires both awe and humility. What does it mean to feel small in the face of the cosmos—and why might awe be the most human emotion of all?
Finally, we return to the Thames foreshore with Sean Clark the Mudlark, whose latest discovery—a pristine Elizabeth I silver shilling—offers a window into Tudor life before potatoes, tobacco, or the Spanish Armada.
Don’t forget to follow the show, leave a 5-star review, and share this episode with a friend who loves a good story. Until next time—stand tall, speak true, and we’ll see you soon in The Big Smoke.
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Links
🎙️ Fill out our short survey for a chance to win a copy of The Philosophy of Board Games! Take the survey
✨ Become a patron and unlock your Backstage Pass: patreon.com/TheBigSmokeVarietyShow
🕊️ Learn more about St Ethelburga’s Centre
🍁 Maple Leaf or Make Believe Article
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(01:54) Maple Leaf or Make Believe
(03:56) Wendy Gorling Interview
(54:21) Parish Notices
(1:01:04) Shawnigan Lake
(1:08:56) Sean Clark the Mudlark's Latest Find
(1:13:23) Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answer
(1:15:07) 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
Parish Notices research by Ahmad Wonly
 

Trailer - The Big Smoke hosted by Kevin Bennett

Are you ready to break free from your algorithmic prison and join us for some enlightening — and silly — entertainment?
Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! A podcast filled with comedy, conversation and community.
Join us every fortnight for pub quizzes, mini radio plays, and stories from all corners of London and beyond.  
So, take a seat, join the crowd, and celebrate all that is The Big Smoke Variety Show.

Silly Season: Explore with Your Mind!

This week’s Silly Season episode is bold, rich, and possibly a bit risky. Back in the Comedy Café Mark Silcox takes the spotlight with tales of his latest obsession: gold trading. Kate Sharp and Alex Farrow join in as we debate financial wisdom, summer side-hustles, and whether pursuing security is ever truly secure. It’s a silly, spirited, and slightly speculative conversation about where your mind goes when your sunhat’s on and your common sense takes a holiday.
In Parish Notices, our Summer Correspondent Morgan sends us out with a final creative mission: grab some sidewalk chalk and turn your neighbourhood into an open-air gallery. Then, we meet Lydia Wood, profiled in The New York Times, who set out to draw every single pub in London. What started during lockdown has become a full-time tribute to the emotional architecture of the city — turning beer-soaked buildings into sketched love letters. Explore with your imagination, and you might just map out meaning where you least expect it.
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Links
sketching pubs article
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(00:50) Comedy Café
(19:30) Parish Notices
(23:36) 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
 

Silly Season: Explore with Your Feet!

Welcome to another Big Smoke Silly Season! This week in our Comedy Café, we stroll into deeper waters. Alex Farrow takes centre stage in a thoughtful chat about the meaning of summer, the philosopher’s mindset, and the timeless role of the fool in society. Joined by Kate Sharp and Mark Silcox, we riff on Shakespeare, Oscar Wilde, and how some people can make anything a fish!
In Parish Notices, our Summer Correspondent Morgan encourages you to try a new path, find a muddy puddle and see what wildlife you can discover. And we head outside London to join the rising tide of Gen Z hiking groups, like Overground and Dykes Who Hike, highlighted in The Financial Times. These aren’t just walks — they’re joyful, sober, social movements reclaiming nature as a place for community, healing, and new friendships. So put down your phone — and pick up your walking shoes.
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Links
walking groups article
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(00:50) Comedy Café
(20:36) Parish Notices
(25:07) 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

Silly Season: Join In!

This week’s Big Smoke mini-episode is like a perfectly pulled cortado for your ears — short, sharp, and slightly sweaty. Stand-up comedians Kate Sharp, Alex Farrow, and Mark Silcox return for a slightly damp but deeply funny session at the Comedy Café, focused around Kate’s caffeine habits, medication mishaps, and the sweaty truths of summer. From towelling methodology to microphone hygiene, it’s a gloriously soggy ode to showing up, sweating it out, and having a laugh in the mess of it all.
In Parish Notices, our Summer Correspondent Morgan gives us another top tip: don’t just sit there — join in! From spontaneous bandstand performances to silly summer classes, connection begins with saying yes. We also meet the Yarn Bombers of Hertford, featured in The Times, a group of mostly retired rebels who sneak out at 4am to dress their towns in colourful knitted toppers. What started as a festive prank has grown into a nationwide act of joyful resistance — and a powerful reminder that mischief and community go hand in hand.
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Links
Yarn Bombers article
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Chapters
(00:00) Intro
(00:50) Comedy Café
(17:55) Parish Notices
(21:54) 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