{"name":"The Big Smoke Variety Show","short_name":"The Big Smoke Variety Show","theme_color":"#ffffff","start_url":"/","display":"standalone","background_color":"#fff","description":"<p><strong>The Big Smoke Variety Show</strong> is a one-of-a-kind podcast hosted by theatre director and Canadian living in London, Kevin Bennett, blending the playfulness of classic TV variety shows with the depth of a cultural salon. Each episode features fascinating interviews — with guests like the former Ravenmaster of the Tower of London Christopher Skaife, Olivier Award-winning actor Giles Terera, clothier and BBC’s Great British Sewing Bee star Patrick Grant — plus authors, historians, entertainers, scientists, and experts of all kinds.<br /><br />You’ll also hear regular recurring segments on everything from the newest branch of neuroscience — neuroaesthetics — and how it can change your life, to one of London’s licensed Mudlarks sharing the historic treasures he’s found in the River Thames.<br /><br />Expect lively conversations, surprising stories, and original comedy — from hilarious sketches to mini radio plays. If you love discovering big ideas, quirky characters, and the rituals that bring us together, this podcast is for you.<br /><br />In a world driven apart by social media algorithms, <strong>The Big Smoke Variety Show</strong> invites you to gather, laugh, and hear stories you won’t find anywhere else.</p>","icons":[{"src":"https://deow9bq0xqvbj.cloudfront.net/image-logo/19347197/finalized_fixed_sRGBbqke3_300x300.jpg","sizes":"300x300","type":"image/png"}]}