The Big Smoke

About The Big Smoke

The Big Smoke Variety Show 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. 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. 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. In a world driven apart by social media algorithms, The Big Smoke Variety Show invites you to gather, laugh, and hear stories you won’t find anywhere else.

Publisher

Kevin Bennett

Category

arts · comedy · society & culture

Language

en

Explicit

No

First episode

3 Sept 2024

Latest episode

31 Jul 2026

Latest episodes

57 episodes in the feed.

1. 

   31 Jul 2026

   Mind the Gap: The Big Smoke Variety Show Update

   Hello friends! Whether you’ve been along for the ride these past two years or have just stumbled across our show now, welcome and thanks for tuning in. This is just a quick note to let you know that The Big Smoke Variety Show is taking a little hiatus. We’ve decided to recharge our creative batteries and think about how we want to continue bringing wonderful stories, fascinating conversations, and a sense of community to you. If you’re only just discovering the show, I hope you’ll dive into our archive of evergreen episodes. In true variety show fashion, there’s a little bit of everything waiting for you. You can join a world-renowned hot air balloon pilot floating thousands of feet above the Earth, explore the hidden treasures discovered by mudlarks deep beneath the mud of the River Thames, learn all about London’s unique coffee history, and even hear why humans love to see faces just about everywhere. The idea for a modern variety show comes from my fascination and love for the rich tradition of variety entertainment history, from the Jacobean masques of Shakespeare’s day, through music hall and vaudeville, to the late-night talk shows I used to stay up late watching as a kid. These shows have always brought together different kinds of entertainment under one roof while exposing people to different ideas they may not have found otherwise. And that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do here, guided by three simple pillars: comedy, conversation, and community. Comedy has given us everything from the hysterical and historical Doctor Quack to the magical and mysterious Strange Brothers. Conversation has been an enormous privilege. We’ve had the chance to sit down with experts, artists, historians, scientists, performers and authors — all people deeply passionate about their own unique corner of the world — and we’ve invited all of you to become curious alongside them. And of course, community sits at the heart of everything. The greatest joy of making the show has always been bringing people together around ideas they never expected to find fascinating, introducing listeners to remarkable people and organisations, and encouraging all of us to bravely step out into the world a little more curious than we were before. Parish Notices, in particular, has become one of my favourite segments: a chance to celebrate people doing wonderful things in their neighbourhoods and hopefully inspire you to find or build a community of your own. I truly believe that connection and community is what being human is all about. So thank you for being part of this joyful and unique experiment. Whether you’ve listened to one episode or every single one, I’m incredibly grateful you chose to spend some of your time with us. This isn’t goodbye. Just… we’ll see you again soon. Here in The Big Smoke. — Credits Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett Produced & Edited by Alex Graham Original Theme Song by Giles Terera

2. 

   30 Jul 2026

   Silly Season: A Double Bill of Stories You Haven’t Heard

   Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! Back in 1861, the phrase “silly season” was coined to describe that sleepy stretch of summer when there wasn’t much real news to report, and newspapers filled their pages with wonderfully oddball stories instead. So, we’ve done the same—bringing you another double dose of mythical tales perfect for long summer evenings. In this week’s Silly Season we have two Stories You Haven’t Heard. These are timeless tales, reimagined and beautifully performed by the wonderful Scott Brooksbank. First, we travel to Brazil for a magical folktale about a lonely princess, a sea monster with a kind heart, an impossible dress, and the forgotten promise that, some say, still echoes through the waves today. ‘Dionyssia, or Why the Sea Moans’ is a story of friendship, memory, and the strange sounds that shape our world. Then we journey all the way back to Ancient Greece for Aristophanes’ ‘The Frogs’ where the god Dionysus embarks on an absurd adventure into the Underworld in search of the perfect playwright. Along the way there are croaking frogs, theatrical rivalries, mistaken identities, terrible disguises, and plenty of comic chaos, all wrapped around a surprisingly thoughtful exploration of why stories matter. So whether you’re listening to the waves, following the croaking of frogs into the underworld, or simply enjoying a quiet summer evening, remember: the real silly season isn’t in the newspapers anymore… it’s right here on The Big Smoke Variety Show. — Chapters (00:00) Intro & Show Menu (01:00) Dionyssia, or Why the Sea Moans (10:24) The Frogs (25:46) Outro — Credits Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett Produced & Edited by Alex Graham Original Music by Giles Terera Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins Stories You Haven’t Heard written and performed by Scott Brooksbank

3. 

   23 Jul 2026

   Silly Season: A Double Bill of The Strange Brothers

   Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! Back in 1861, the phrase “silly season” was coined to describe that sleepy stretch of summer when there wasn’t much real news to report, and newspapers filled their pages with wonderfully oddball stories instead. So, we’ve done the same—bringing you a double scoop of silliness  perfect for long summer evenings. This week, everyone’s favourite apprentice illusionists, The Strange Brothers, return with another dose of magical mayhem. Fresh from securing a place in an international magic competition, Salazar Strange Sorcerer Extreme and Craig set their sights on the bright lights of Las Vegas. With white tigers, gravity-defying illusions, questionable pyrotechnics and dreams of joining the ranks of magic’s greatest double acts, what could possibly stand in their way? As it turns out… quite a lot. Then, determined to prove he truly deserves the title of Sorcerer Extreme, Salazar attempts his most dangerous stunt yet: spending seven days sealed underground with nothing but a walkie-talkie, his own thoughts, and Craig in charge of the safety plan. Unsurprisingly, things don’t stay under control for very long, leading to a tale of friendship, survival, romance, conspiracy theories, and one very observant milk delivery. So pour yourself something cold, settle into the sunshine, and enjoy a slice of wonderfully ridiculous midsummer nonsense. After all, the real silly season isn’t in the newspapers anymore… it’s right here on The Big Smoke Variety Show. — Chapters (00:00) Intro & Show Menu (00:54) Viva Las Craigus and the Tiger (12:18) Sorcerer Extreme Goes Underground (24:50) Outro — Credits Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett Produced & Edited by Alex Graham Original Music by Giles Terera Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins The Strange Brothers written and performed by Jamie Sandersfield and Matthew Nicholson

Who has been a guest on The Big Smoke

Names identified in recent episode analyses. Showing up to five guests.

• Jonn Elledge
• Adam Wright
• Helena Smith
• Martin Cosarinsky Campos
• Emma Young

Reach and audience

Public platform figures. Ratings count people who left a rating, not total listeners.

YouTube views

13,283

Score snapshot 15 Sept 2025

Spotify

4.9 / 5

29 ratings

Podcast Authority Score: 64 / 100

A composite of feed quality, social presence, YouTube performance and engagement. Read the methodology.

Quality

79

Social presence

0

YouTube

72

Engagement

51

Contact The Big Smoke

Guest appearances

Books guests

Based on episode analysis; this does not confirm that the show is currently accepting guests.