The Big Smoke Variety Show

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,...

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 ...

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 Hele...

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...

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 c...

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...

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, ...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In today’s episode, ‘The CNN of the Ghetto’, we explore the rhythms that shape our lives, both natural and self-made.

First up, we welcome MoYah - Afro-fusion rapper, activist, and educator, who blends music with advocacy, using hip-hop as a tool for storytelling, community, and change. From his roots in Mozambique to his career-defining role as Portugal’s first refugee semi-finalist in Festiv...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In today's episode, ‘The Shoe in the Wall: Patrick Grant on why 'Less' is more’, we’re unpicking the threads of fashion, identity, and the objects we bring into our lives, starting with the clothes on our backs.

Joining us is none other than Patrick Grant - clothier, sustainability advocate, and judge on The Great British Sewing Bee. Patrick takes us on a journey through the history of clothin...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This episode is an ode to the auraculous, as we delve into the extraordinary world of sound with writer and journalist Caspar Henderson, author of ‘A Book of Noises: Notes on the Auraculous’.

Caspar invites us to tune the dial of our minds and truly listen to the hidden harmonies of nature, the mysteries of music, and the profound ways sound shapes our world. We explore the bizarre and beautif...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In this festive episode, ‘Christmas Cheese and Reindeer Games’, we bring you a brilliant mix of holiday cheer, mouth-watering cheese, and heartwarming stories in support of the Babylon Migrants Project, a community interest company that empowers young refugees, asylum seekers, and migrants through creative activities.

Cheese consultant and author Emma Young leads a fascinating cheese tasting, ...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! Today’s episode, ‘The Three Pillars: Comedy, Conversation & Community’, is a special global journey celebrating the heart of what makes our show unique. Join us as we take a closer look at our show’s core themes with incredible guests from around the world.

Our first stop is Vancouver, Canada, where we meet Aidan Parker, a writer, filmmaker, and award-winning member of the Canadian improv ...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! Today’s episode, “The Better Part of Valour”, takes us into the unexpected world of Ukrainian cricket—a story of courage, community, and resilience in the face of war. Our guest, Jonathan Campion, journalist and author of 'Getting Out: The Ukrainian Cricket Team’s Last Stand on the Front Lines of War', shares his first-hand account of Ukraine’s quirky cricket history and how its ...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! Today’s episode, “A Fatal Exit”, delves into the spooky lore of the Tower of London and its iconic ravens, just in time for Halloween!

Our guest is none other than former Ravenmaster and current Yeoman Warder at the Tower of London Christopher Skaife, author of The Ravenmaster — named ‘London book of the year’ by the Evening Standard. Join us as Chris recounts his y...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In this episode, “The Freestyle Mind”, we dive into how we can harness our thoughts to find stillness, flow, creativity, and inspiration in the midst of modern chaos.

First up, we have Arti Lal, a seasoned meditation teacher and co-ordinator of the Inner Space Meditation Centre in Covent Garden. For over 35 years, Arti has been inspiring individuals to make space fo...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In this episode, “Stone Aged Wisdom”, we’re stepping back in time to explore how ancient skills and wisdom can still connect us to our modern world. How could learning to start a fire or forage for food be relevant in the digital age? 

We’re thrilled to welcome Memma the Cavewoman, aka Sarah Day. Memma is a Bushcraft instructor, experimental archaeologist, and ancie...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In this episode, “Heroes or Vandals?”, we’re taking you deep into the world of graffiti, urban art, and creative expression. Right now it seems there's a new Banksy popping up on every corner, so our timing couldn't be better!

Featuring in this episode is Madeleine Pelling, cultural historian and co-host of History Hit’s After Dark. She’ll be discussing her new book...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In this episode, "Change in Muddy Waters", we bring together two remarkable guests for an evening of historical discovery, refugee empowerment, and personal journeys.

First, we dive into the world of Sean Clark, a licensed mudlark with a passion for uncovering the hidden stories of 17th-century London. Sean has spent years along the banks of the Thames, discovering unique and historical artifa...

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! In this episode, "Wild City, Ghost Town", we bring together two outstanding guests for an unforgettable evening of urban wildlife, poetry, and community activism.

We welcome Florence Wilkinson, writer, filmmaker, and co-founder of the birdsong recognition app Warblr. Florence will share insights from her acclaimed book Wild City: Encounters with Urban Wildlife, expl...