『The Big Smoke Variety Show』のカバーアート

The Big Smoke Variety Show

The Big Smoke Variety Show

著者： Kevin Bennett
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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.

Copyright 2024 All rights reserved. アート 社会科学
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  • Silly Season: A Double Bill of The Strange Brothers

    Silly Season: A Double Bill of The Strange Brothers
    2026/07/23

    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
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    25 分
  • Beneath the Muddy Waters with London’s Mudlarking Community

    Beneath the Muddy Waters with London’s Mudlarking Community
    2026/07/16
    Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we take another peek behind one of your favourite recurring segments and venture down to the foreshore with Sean Clark the Mudlark's Latest Find. Kevin is joined by Sean Clark, Sam Caetoven and Angela Bridge — a true muddle of mudlarks — for a conversation about the strange, beautiful and deeply human world of searching the banks of the River Thames. Together, they explore what mudlarking actually is: following the tide out, scanning the stones and mud, and uncovering objects lost or thrown away across thousands of years of London life. From eyes-only searching to scrapers, licenses, tide tables and finds liaison officers, the group explains the rules, rituals and rhythms of life on the river. Sean, Sam and Angela also reflect on what keeps them coming back. For some, it is history. For others, it is mindfulness, community, grief, discovery, or simply the rare peace of standing beside the water while the city hums above you. Along the way, we hear about some extraordinary finds: Sam’s half-million-year-old hand axe, made before modern humans even existed; a Roman intaglio that may once have belonged to a soldier; Angela’s mysterious Prince Rupert’s drop and tiny apothecary bottle; and Sean’s medieval dog paw, Anglo-Saxon bead and beloved trade tokens. The conversation also uncovers the detective work that begins after an object is found. Trade tokens become doorways into the lives of grocers, bakers, soap sellers and ordinary Londoners who lived through civil war, plague, fire and restoration — people whose names rarely appear in grand history books, but whose stories still survive in the mud. Kevin and the mudlarks also look ahead to upcoming exhibitions, heritage events and Sean’s trade token walking tours, where finds are placed back into the streets, churches and corners of London where their original owners once lived and worked. So whether you’re scanning the foreshore for a flash of colour, holding something last touched centuries ago, or simply wondering what stories are waiting beneath your feet, this episode is a reminder that history is not only found in museums or behind glass — sometimes it is hidden in the mud, waiting patiently for the tide to go out, and ready to find us here in The Big Smoke. — Links 🪙 Sean Clark 🦴 Sam Caetoven 💧 Angela Bridge 👐 Hands On History – mudlarking walks, talks and events 🏛️ Heritage Craft and Mudlarking Festival at Southwark Cathedral — Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find 🌊 Change in Muddly Waters: Sean’s first appearance on The Big Smoke – 06/09/24 🎲 Roman Bone Die – 17/04/25 ⛪ Pilgrim Badge – 15/05/25 🪙 King James I Copper Farthing – 10/07/25 👑 Queen Elizabeth I Silver Shilling – 11/09/2025 ⚓ Quant – 06/11/25 🎄🪙 Christmas Special: Anthony Joyce Trade Token – 18/12/25 🏰 Medieval Floor Tile – 05/02/26 💰 Knop: Tudor Money Box – 19/03/26 🪙 Paul Badcock Trade Token – 21/05/26 — Chapters (00:00) Intro and Show Menu (01:54) Mudlarking Interview with Sean Clark, Sam Caetoven and Angela Bridge (51:49) 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
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    53 分
  • Behind the Nugget: Neuroaesthetics with Archie McAlpine

    Behind the Nugget: Neuroaesthetics with Archie McAlpine
    2026/07/09

    Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

    This week, we take a peek behind the nugget and explore one of your favourite recurring segments: Archie’s Neuro Nuggets.

    Kevin is joined by Archie McAlpine, whose quick, actionable insights have taken us through the fascinating ways our brains respond to the world around us — from fractals, ASMR and nostalgia to laughter, sound, creativity and the hidden power of paying attention.

    Together, Kevin and Archie explore neuroaesthetics: the emerging science of how our brains and bodies respond to art, beauty, sound, space, nature and the environments we move through every day.

    Archie reflects on his journey from biomedical science to Goldsmiths, growing up in a creative family, playing music, and eventually discovering the in-between space where art and science meet. Along the way, he explains how what we see, hear, touch and experience can shape our emotions, focus, stress levels and ability to rest.

    The conversation moves from biophilic design and the surprising power of our surroundings into the world of neurofeedback, brain training and the question of what modern life — from phones to notifications to short-form videos — might already be doing to our minds.

    Finally, Kevin and Archie revisit some favourite Neuro Nuggets and land on one simple place to begin: interoception — the hidden sense that helps us tune into our internal world. Whether through breathwork, yoga, meditation, movement, or simply a few slow breaths at your desk, Archie explains how noticing what is happening inside the body can help us feel more grounded in the noisy world outside it.

    We’re also trying something new, with episodes now coming to you every week. Join us next Thursday as resident mudlark Sean Clark welcomes a few friends to help us peek beneath the mud and discover the remarkable community uncovering London’s history, one fascinating find at a time.

    So whether you’re staring at your phone, trying to sleep, walking through a strangely calming airport, or simply remembering to take three slow breaths, this episode is a reminder that the world around us — and the world inside us — may be shaping us in ways we are only just beginning to understand. And those are exactly the kinds of strange, everyday mysteries we love exploring on The Big Smoke.

    —

    Links

    🧠 Archie McAlpine

    ⚡ Neurofeedback

    🧘 Yoga Nidra

    —

    Archie’s Neuro Nuggets

    🌿 Fractals in Nature – 07/03/25

    🙃 Hanging Upside Down – 03/04/25

    ✏️ Doodling – 29/05/25

    🫀 Interoception – 26/06/25

    🕰️ Nostalgia – 25/09/25

    🎧 White, Pink, and Brown Noise – 20/11/25

    😂 Laughter – 19/02/26

    🎙️ ASMR – 16/04/26

    —

    Chapters

    (00:00) Intro and Show Menu

    (01:55) Archie McAlpine Interview

    (54:08) 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
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    55 分
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