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Artwork for The Big Smoke Variety Show

The Big Smoke Variety Show

Kevin Bennett
London
Board Games
Anthropomorphism
Charlie Chaplin
Death
Rapid Response Collecting
The Age Of Alchemy
Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer
Gold Trading
Royal Institute Of Philosophy
Philosophy
Borders
London Pubs
Fear
Social Media Algorithms
Robert L. May
River Thames
Investing
Summer
Music

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... more

PublishesTwice monthlyEpisodes50Founded2 years ago
Number of ListenersCategories
Society & CultureComedy

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Artwork for The Big Smoke Variety Show

Latest Episodes

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we throw open the doors to Variety Week and journey from the secrets hiding behind London’s blue plaques to an ancient tale of love, fate and devotion from the forests of India.

First, comedian and ... more

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Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we brave the sting and fly into the surprisingly fascinating world of wasps — from Shakespeare and Aristotle to cockroach hunters, paper architects, picnic pests. We explore some of nature’s most mis... more

YouTube

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we throw open the doors to Variety Week and descend into the wonderfully strange — from apprentice magicians wrestling with the laws of reality to historic London loos wrestling with the laws of plum... more

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Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we log on and step into the complex world of China’s internet, a digital landscape shaped by innovation, censorship, and the ever-shifting boundaries of freedom and control.

Kevin is joined by journ... more

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Key Facts

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Number of Listeners
Find out how many people listen to this podcast per episode and each month.

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People also subscribe to these shows.

The Daily
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Recent Guests

Yi-Ling Liu
Writer and journalist; author of The Wall Dancers
New York Times Magazine, The New Yorker, Wired
Episode: The Wall Dancers: Searching for Freedom and Connection on the Chinese Internet with Yi-Ling Liu
Sean Clark
Mudlark
The Big Smoke Variety Show
Episode: Stories You Haven’t Heard: The Hedley Kow & A Recent Mudlark Find
Kit Chapman
Author of The Age of Alchemy
Author, journalist
Episode: The Age of Alchemy with Kit Chapman
Rachel Cole-Wilkin
Creator of London Loo Tours, the city's walking tour of public toilets
London Loo Tours
Episode: Flush & Fix: London Loos and the Restart Café
Serena Potter
Founder of the Southfields Mend, Fix & Repair Café; part of Restart Project movement
Restart Project / Southfields Mend, Fix & Repair Café
Episode: Flush & Fix: London Loos and the Restart Café
Dr. Richard Cole
Senior Lecturer in Digital Futures, University of Bristol
University of Bristol
Episode: Gaming for Social Change with Dr Richard Cole
Corinna Gardner
Senior Curator of Design and Digital, Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
Episode: Rapid Response Collecting at the V&A Museum
Donata Miller-Obebe
Assistant Curator, Rapid Response Collecting, Victoria and Albert Museum
Victoria and Albert Museum
Episode: Rapid Response Collecting at the V&A Museum
Salazar Strange
Magician character in a segment
The Strange Brothers (fictional)
Episode: Rapid Response Collecting at the V&A Museum

Host

Kevin Bennett
Host of The Big Smoke Variety Show

Reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars from 60 ratings
  • Great podcast

    Really refreshing energy about this podcast and love the variety covered! The Strange Brothers are wonderful - laugh-out-loud!!!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    BigG4
    United Kingdom4 months ago
  • Enriching AND Entertaining!

    No other podcast consistently dives into interesting and little known topics I didn’t even know you could be an expert in! There’s always something for everyone.

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Jamstaman
    United Kingdom4 months ago
  • Very fun

    Love the podcast and love the variety of topics covered

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Mo khalbous
    United Kingdom5 months ago
  • Love this show!

    Very funny and interesting topics with an amazing host!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    E. C..
    Canada6 months ago
  • Best podcast ever!

    This is a engaging, funny and interesting podcast that i definitely recommend listening to!

    Apple Podcasts
    5
    Kosty47
    Canada7 months ago

Listeners Say

Key themes from listener reviews, highlighting what works and what could be improved about the show.

Listeners praise the show's energy and variety.
Many enjoy the mix of history, culture, and humor, with positive remarks about guests.
The program is seen as engaging, warm, and a public-serving cultural platform.
Audiences value accessible, entertaining yet informative discussions.

Talking Points

Recent interactions between the hosts and their guests.

The Season of Fear
Q: How does fear relate to power and freedom across history?
Fear both guards boundaries and motivates growth; the balance between managing fear and pursuing aspirational goals shapes political systems, revolutions, and liberal values.
The Season of Fear
Q: What are some assumptions about fear that may be too narrow or simplistic?
Fear is not just a negative force but also a fundamental driver of social and political life; it exists across technocratic and cultural histories and can mobilize people toward protective actions as well as transformative change.
The Philosophy of Board Games
Q: What makes chess so enduring and appealing?
The guest explains that chess offers near-infinite strategic possibilities from the first move, making it deeply engaging and not based on luck, which contributes to its lasting popularity.
The Humanity of Ghosts
Q: Do you personally believe in ghosts, and how does that belief shape your approach as a historian?
She answers with nuance: ghosts in history are often human constructs or misinterpretations, but personal experiences exist; her scholarly stance balances skepticism with openness to unexplained phenomena, reflecting the complex human impulse behind ghost stories.
The Humanity of Ghosts
Q: Why did you in particular choose the Hammersmith Ghost as the entry point for this discussion?
Dr. Pelling explains that the Hammersmith Ghost is an ideal lens to examine belief vs. skepticism, the social panics around the supernatural, and how such episodes reveal the interplay of gender, class, and urban life in early 19th-century London.

Audience Metrics

Listeners, social reach, demographics and more for this podcast.

Listeners per Episode
Gender Skew
Location
Interests
Professions
Age Range
Household Income
Social Media Reach

Frequently Asked Questions About The Big Smoke Variety Show

What is The Big Smoke Variety Show about and what kind of topics does it cover?

The show blends lively, theatrical energy with deep-dives into culture, history, science, and design. Episodes pivot from intimate author interviews and museum perspectives to game-like explorations of the past, technology, and human stories, often pairing scholarly context with playful segments and live performance. Listeners can expect a rich mix of rigor and whimsy, with guests ranging from historians and curators to scientists and writers, plus recurring segments on neuroaesthetics, archaeology, and folklore. Noteworthy strengths include high-quality storytelling, accessible explanations of complex ideas, and a penchant for timely, conversation-worthy topics that connect culture to everyday life and public memory. This format is likely ... more

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How many listeners does The Big Smoke Variety Show get?

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How many subscribers and views does The Big Smoke Variety Show have?

To see how many followers or subscribers The Big Smoke Variety Show has on Spotify and other platforms such as Castbox and Podcast Addict, simply upgrade your account. You'll also find viewership figures for their YouTube channel if they have one.

Which podcasts are similar to The Big Smoke Variety Show?

These podcasts share a similar audience with The Big Smoke Variety Show:

1. The Daily

How many episodes of The Big Smoke Variety Show are there?

The Big Smoke Variety Show launched 2 years ago and published 50 episodes to date. You can find more information about this podcast including rankings, audience demographics and engagement in our podcast database.

How do I contact The Big Smoke Variety Show?

Our systems regularly scour the web to find email addresses and social media links for this podcast. We scanned the web and collated all of the contact information that we could find in our podcast database. But in the unlikely event that you can't find what you're looking for, our concierge service lets you request our research team to source better contacts for you.

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What guests have appeared on The Big Smoke Variety Show?

Recent guests on The Big Smoke Variety Show include:

1. Yi-Ling Liu
2. Sean Clark
3. Kit Chapman
4. Rachel Cole-Wilkin
5. Serena Potter
6. Dr. Richard Cole
7. Corinna Gardner
8. Donata Miller-Obebe

To view more recent guests and their details, simply upgrade your Rephonic account. You'll also get access to a typical guest profile to help you decide if the show is worth pitching.

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