Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we’re celebrating Pride from every angle—through folklore, resistance, and the hidden treasures history leaves behind.

First, Kevin sits down with Sunday Times bestselling author Sacha Coward to explore Queer as Folklore—a book that traces the hidden queer history in myths, monsters, and stories we’ve told for centuries. From the otherworldly deep sea in The Little Mermaid, to the far away aliens in Star Trek, Sacha reveals how folklore has always been a home for the in-between, the beautiful, and the feared.

In our Parish Notices, we look beyond our borders at the state of LGBTQ+ rights around the world—where Pride is both celebration and defiance. From Malawi to Thailand, East Timor to Washington DC, we spotlight the brave acts of visibility that remind us: connection can outshine ignorance. Kevin also shares a personal reflection on The Laramie Project and the true story of Matthew Shepard—an example of how stories, spoken aloud and repeated, can echo outward to help create a better world.

Then, fan favourite Sean Clark the Mudlark returns with a treasure plucked from the River Thames just in time for Pride: a gleaming copper farthing from the reign of King James I—Britain’s first openly queer monarch. Four hundred years later, his story re-surfaces.

Sign up for our free newsletter at thebigsmokevariety.com.

Don’t forget to subscribe, share the show with a friend, or leave a quick review—it really helps us grow.

Until next time—stay proud, stay curious, and we’ll see you soon in The Big Smoke.

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Links

Queer as Folklore Book

Thailand Marriage Equality Article

Budapest Pride Article

Australians Cancel Travel to USA Article

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(1:30) Sacha Coward Interview

(1:03:15) Parish Notices

(1:06:56) Reflections on The Laramie Project

(1:15:52) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find

(1:20:08) 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

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we’re tracing lines—political, personal, and poetic—as we examine how borders, behaviours, and the body shape our place in the world.

First, Kevin speaks with political journalist and bestselling author Jonn Elledge, whose book A History of the World in 47 Borders explores how the lines drawn through history continue to define our present. From colonial maps to the Canada–US border, Jonn unpacks the strange power of straight lines—and what they reveal about war, power, and human invention.

Then, in our Parish Notices, we unplug from the algorithm and ask: how are people breaking digital habits to reconnect with the real world? From phone-free hikes to London’s rapidly growing Offline Club, we share ideas—and stories—from those reclaiming their attention, one notification at a time.

Next up, it’s a new Neuro Nugget from our in-house brain-whisperer Archie. This week, he explores interoception—the science of feeling your own body—and how tuning into your heartbeat, breath, or muscle tension might be the key to emotional wellbeing.

And finally, poet Nehassaiu deGannes returns with three mesmerising pieces. Through memory and the rhythm of water, she draws us into deeper stillness—rooted in history, and the ground we stand on.

For a peek behind the scenes and more info on our fantastic guests, sign up for our free Periodical at thebigsmokevariety.com.

Thanks for listening. We’ll see you soon—in The Big Smoke!

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Links

Jonn Elledge in The New Statesman

Jonn Elledge's Substack Newsletter

‘A History of the World in 47 Borders’

Guardian - Phone Detox Article

Business Insider - Phone Free Trek Article

Economic Times - London 'Offline' Nights Article

The Offline Club

Learn more about Archie's work

Nehassaiu's Book of Poetry

Maple Leaf Answer

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Chapters

(00:00) A note from Kevin

(1:29) Intro – Today’s Episode

(2:57) Maple Leaf or Make Believe

(4:16) Jonn Elledge Interview

(49:26) Parish Notices

(54:32) Archie’s Neuro Nugget

(56:29) Nehassaiu deGannes Poetry

(1:06:29) Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answer

(1:07:39) 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

Thank you to Kieron, Maddie & Andy for their contributions

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week’s episode is a little different. We’re turning inward and asking—as King Lear put it—“Who is it that can tell me who I am?” It’s time for a bit of productive navel-gazing.

So today, the mic turns around. Our assistant producer, Adam Wright, puts host Kevin Bennett in the hot seat as we explore the origins of this delightful circus we call The Big Smoke. From childhood curiosities to theatrical obsessions, it’s a revealing conversation about the twists and turns of a life in showbiz, and what makes this variety show tick.

Then, after all that introspection, we felt it fitting to book a check-up. So it’s off to visit our resident GP in this week’s comedy sketch… Dr. Quack.

Only problem? Dr. Quack is currently on trial for medical malpractice. This historical parody sees him defend his treatment of the Earl of Kent. Let’s just say: you may want to reschedule any future appointments you have with this particular medical professional.

And finally — we introduce you to the very first Victorian Parlour Game Kevin ever played. It’s called Poor Pussy and it’s every bit as silly as it sounds.

Thanks for joining us — whether you’re curled up on the sofa or crawling on all fours.

We’ll see you next time… in The Big Smoke!

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Links

The Earl of Kent’s Story

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Chapters

(00:00) What is a Podcast?

(05:01) Intro – Today’s Episode

(06:30) Kevin Bennett Interview

(52:20) Dr. Quack

(59:25) Victorian Parlour Games

(1:02:16) 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

Dr. Quack written and performed by Jolyon Coy

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we’re packing our bags and setting off on a whirlwind journey — from London to Malawi to Canada… and then… a mystery location?!

First up, we’re joined by travel writer, photographer and community chronicler Helena Smith, whose work with Lonely Planet, Rough Guides and Bradt Guides has taken her from London’s lesser-known footpaths to the sun-drenched hills of rural Malawi. With Helena, we explore how walking with purpose and travelling with care can open new ways of seeing — even in places we thought we knew.

Then, in this week’s Parish Notices, Ahmad Wonly catches up with Martin Cosarinsky Campos, Director of Breadwinners — a social enterprise that’s baking change with every sourdough loaf. Martin brings a wealth of experience from both the charity and private sectors, and his ethos is simple but powerful: “Get to know the people you fear”. Together, they explore how community is built not just through what we do, but who we do it with — one loaf at a time.

Next, we dust off another entry from our Audio Archives — this time, a peculiar Museum Audio Guide. But where (or what) is it? A riddle for your ears awaits…

And finally, Archie’s Neuro Nuggets returns with a quick, science-backed tip to bring more art into your life — and more calm to your mind. This week: how doodling could help you process emotions and reduce stress in just a few minutes a day.

Want more behind-the-scenes content, guest links, and a full breakdown of Archie’s latest nugget? Sign up at thebigsmokevariety.com for our fortnightly Periodical.

Thanks for joining us in The Big Smoke. We’ll see you in a fortnight!

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Links

Helena Smith

Parish Notices: Breadwinners

Archie’s Neuro Nuggets

Maple Leaf or Make Believe answer

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(1:24) Maple Leaf or Make Believe

(2:25) Helena Smith Interview

(44:08) Parish Notices: Breadwinners

(56:06) Audio Archives: Museum Audio Guide

(1:09:01) Archie’s Neuro Nuggets

(1:11:10) Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answer

(1:12:44) 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: Museum Audio Guide written by Aidan Parker

Museum Guide played by Terry Bamberger

Dr. V Chisling played by Scott Brooksbank

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we’re digging through the layers of history, ritual, and relics to uncover the surprising ways we make meaning and find home.

First up, we’re joined by Dr. Andrew Irving, Director of the Groningen Centre for Religion and Heritage, who takes us on a journey through the sacred and the forgotten. From medieval manuscripts to the relics we toss aside, he shares how ancient rituals shape our sense of connection and community. Andrew also spent time studying ancient codices in the Vatican Library, where he witnessed firsthand how sacred texts have shaped centuries of ritual.

Then, it’s the return of Sean Clark the Mudlark, who takes us to the banks of the River Thames, where a curious find links modern-day London to medieval Spain. This week’s artefact? A Pilgrim Badge Mount dating back to the 1400s, its scallop shell design bearing the mark of Saint James. But the real twist? Sean sent it back to Santiago for a blessing —over 600 years after it last made the pilgrimage!

Next, Assistant Producer Adam Wright hits the streets to catch up with our Roving Correspondent Ahmad Wonly, whose journey from Burundi to London is a story of resilience and reinvention. Whether he’s on the football pitch or in the lecture hall, Ahmad shows how to stay deeply connected to community, no matter where life takes you.

And finally, Rishi Rian brings us a Poetic Parish Notice titled ‘My Kitchen Mirror’—a haunting meditation on self-image, memory, and the strange ways we see ourselves in the everyday.

Want more behind-the-scenes content, guest links, and a chance to read Rishi’s poem in full? Sign up at thebigsmokevariety.com for our fortnightly Periodical.

Thanks for joining us in The Big Smoke. We’ll see you in a fortnight!

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Chapters

(00:00) Religion?

(04:54) Intro

(06:00) Andrew Irving Interview

(52:38) Sean Clark the Mudlark's Latest Find

(59:26) Parish Notices

(1:06:27) My Kitchen Mirror by Rishi Rian

(1:15:08) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Exec Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

Roving Correspondent Ahmad Wonly

'Religion?' featuring Jolyon Coy

Original music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This episode tips its hat to the dramatic and the delightfully ridiculous—from lost boys and duels at dawn to Shakespearean skulls and Victorian umbrella stands.

We kick things off with Stump the Room, where we dare you to unravel a set of stage-worthy questions spanning Hook, Hamilton, and Hamlet. From blink-and-you-miss-it cameos to the real-life rulebook behind duels, this quiz blends pop culture with classical flair. Play along and see if you can outsmart your friends.

Then it’s curtain up on a very special guest: Giles Terera—Olivier Award-winning star of ‘Hamilton’ and soon-to-be ‘Hamlet’ at Chichester Festival Theatre. From Neverland to revolutionary New York to the haunted halls of Elsinore, Giles shares the unexpected turns, profound challenges, and artistic awakenings that have shaped his extraordinary journey on stage.

Next, our Parish Notices take a literary turn as assistant producer Adam hits the streets to ask: “what’s your favourite book?” The responses lead us into a sneak peek of our brand-new Big Smoke Book Club. First pick? ‘Queer as Folklore’ by the endlessly insightful Sacha Coward. Fancy reading along with us? You can find out more info and join the club here!

Feeling a little under the weather? Good news—it’s time to meet our new resident doctor. Dr. Quack is in the house (or perhaps a 16th-century plague ward), offering historically accurate medical advice for your minor ailments.

And finally, it’s game time, Victorian Parlour Games returns! The Elephant’s Foot Umbrella Stand. It’s part memory game, part logic puzzle, and part descent into chaos. Bring your wits—and maybe an umbrella?

It’s thoughtful. It’s theatrical. It’s just a little bit unhinged.

Want more delightful oddities? Sign up at thebigsmokevariety.com for our fortnightly Periodical.

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Links

Read Giles’s book, ‘Hamilton and Me: An Actor's Journal’ Here!

See Giles as Hamlet at Chichester Festival Theatre

“You’re Blowing Smoke!”: Dr. Quack’s historical insights

More delightfully disturbing historical Quack-y medical facts

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(01:21) Stump The Room

(02:17) Giles Terera Interview

(53:12) Parish Notices

(59:14) Dr. Quack

(1:06:11) Victorian Parlour Games

(1:08:39) Stump The Room Answers

(1:11:02) Outro

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Hosted & Exec Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

Dr. Quack written and performed by Jolyon Coy

Original music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

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Today’s episode really leans into the “variety” part of our podcast's name. From Canadian headlines to ancient Roman bone dice, it’s a buffet of the bizarre, the beautiful, and the quietly profound.

First up, it’s back to the Great White North for another round of Maple Leaf, or Make Believe?—the quiz that challenges you to separate true Canadian news stories from sweet, syrupy fakes. One of these headlines is legit. The rest? Pure, unfiltered nonsense. Can you spot the truth?

Then, we slow things down with our first guest: yoga and meditation teacher Sue Cheung, who shares accessible, practical tools for managing anxiety in a noisy world. With strategies drawn from her Anti-Anxiety Toolkit, Sue shows us that finding calm in chaos isn’t just possible—it might be the most powerful thing we can do.

After that, we crack open the Audio Archives, a brand new segment uncovering strange audio relics of the past. This week, a preserved recording from the final shift of a switchboard operator named Katherine Ellington. What call sealed her fate? Who was on the other end of the line—and what exactly did they say?

And finally, it’s time to put on your wellies and head down to the River Thames with returning guest Sean Clark the Mudlark. In his first regular report, Sean introduces us to the ancient artefacts “finding him” on the foreshore—including a tiny, lopsided Roman bone die that opens a portal to 2,000 years of gambling, games, and forgotten Londoners.

Our Parish Notices this week come from the endlessly inspiring Ahmad—sharing a glimpse into the world of The Running Charity and the coach who’s changing lives.

You’ll laugh, you’ll breathe, you’ll say “Wait—what did I just listen to?”

Step inside The Big Smoke. It’s weird. It’s wonderful. It’s waiting.

Don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter at thebigsmokevariety.com for a peek behind the curtain of our guests and more!

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Links

Sue Cheung Website

Claude Umuhire and The Running Charity

Sean Clark Instagram

Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answer

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(01:25) Maple Leaf or Make Believe

(02:24) Sue Cheung Interview

(41:58) Parish Notices

(47:22) Audio Archives: Switchboard Operator

(58:21) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find

(01:04:22) Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answer

(01:06:19) Outro

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Hosted & Exec Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

A big thanks to Ahmad Wonly, our on-street correspondent

Audio Archives was written by Aidan Parker and stars Olivia Mace

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In today’s episode, we step into the ring… or rather, the opera house. And trust us, by the end, you’ll see they might just be the same thing.

First up, we kick things off with a Looney Tunes twist in Stump the Room: Bugs Bunny Meets Opera Edition. Can you tell your Wagnerian heroines from your Saturday morning demons?

Then, our host Kevin Bennett is joined by Thomas Guthrie - opera director, writer, composer, and founder of the charity Music and Theatre for All. Kevin challenges Tom to convince him that opera isn’t just about powdered wigs and posh intervals but is something raw, real, and resonant.

Then, we visit the vibrant heart of Lewisham with our Parish Notices, where guest correspondent Vicky Annand brings us stories of connection and creativity from the local community.

Later in the show, Kevin shares a personal piece titled ‘The Weird Sister’, a true story from his time running a Shakespeare collective in Vancouver’s Downtown Eastside. It’s about trust, transformation, and how one woman, through the words of the Porter in Macbeth, found her voice in an unexpected place.

And finally, it’s time to hang upside down - literally. Archie McAlpine returns with Neuro Nuggets, offering a curious brain hack about blood flow and perspective that’s part gym trick, part neuroscience. You can learn more about Archie’s work here.

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Links:

Find out more about Thomas Guthrie

Sign up to our fortnightly newsletter

Follow us on Instagram @thebigsmokevariety and leave us a 5-star review on your podcast app of choice!

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro

(01:27) Stump the Room

(02:44) Tom Guthrie Interview

(45:13) Parish Notices

(51:11) The Weird Sister

(59:30) Archie’s Neuro Nugget

(1:00:51) Stump The Room Answers

(1:04:41) Outro

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Hosted & Exec Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Assistant Produced by Adam Wright

And a big thanks to Vicky Annand, our guest correspondent