The Big Smoke Variety Show

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show Christmas Special, recorded live beneath the West End at The Phoenix Arts Club. Tonight, we gather for an old-fashioned festive tradition: ghost stories at Christmas, games played in good company, and the sense of connection that comes from gathering together at the darkest time of the year. We begin with Charles Dickens, and a lesser-known seasonal tale from The Pickwick Papers: The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton — a darkly comic story of Gabriel Grubb, a gravedigger who despises merriment and is forced to confront what it means to sneer at the joy of others. From there, the live show unfolds with crackers pulled, paper crowns donned, groan-worthy jokes judged, and the mysteriously hidden Christmas Pickle, promising good fortune to whoever spots it first. Music fills the room thanks to the Lewisham Creative Chorus, performing original festive material, while Sean Clark the Mudlark shares a true ghostly tale about a trade token from the Thames foreshore, and its link to the famous diarist Samuel Pepys. After a suitably Dickensian Pub Quiz, the night darkens with one of the most unsettling Christmas ghost stories ever written: Elizabeth Gaskell’s The Old Nurse’s Story, read by Rachel Pickup — bleak, wintry, and deliciously spine-tingling. We then consult Dr Quack, whose hysterical and historically accurate medical treatments come back to haunt him. We hear some of our audience’s favourite Christmas memories, the pickle is finally revealed, and we leave the live space behind for one final reflection: a meditation on the restless spirit of one of the original pantomime dames, Dan Leno, who may never have quite left the theatre on Drury Lane. So pour yourself something warm, listen closely, and join us beneath the glittering West End. Merry Christmas, and we’ll see you soon in The Big Smoke. — Chapters (00:00) Christmas Memories (02:14) Intro (03:30) The Story of the Goblins Who Stole a Sexton (17:28) Christmas Crackers (21:00) Lewisham Creative Chorus (30:37) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find (42:15) Pub Quiz: The Three Spirits (48:51) The Old Nurses Story (1:04:21) Dr Quack (1:14:48) Christmas Memories (1:16:13) The Ghost of a Pantomime Dame (1:22:16) ‘Merry Christmas Everyone’ sung by Lewisham Creative Chorus — Credits Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett Produced & Edited by Alex Graham Assistant Produced by Adam Wright Original theme music by Giles Terera, arranged and played by Joseph Atkins The Old Nurses Story by Elizabeth Gaskell adapted by Cait Roddam Jones and performed by Rachel Pickup Dr Quack written and performed by Jolyon Coy Many thanks to our musical guests Thomas Guthrie and the Lewisham Creative Chorus with Outcry Ensemble, Vox Urbane's Vox Genesis programme, Lydia Kenny, Francesca Collyer-Powell, Jessica Anderson, Jess Mollie and Mike Veazey

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we slip into the strange, funny and quietly revealing world of anthropomorphism — the very human habit of seeing minds, motives and meaning everywhere we look. First, Kevin pulls up a chair with scientist and bestselling author Justin Gregg, whose book Humanish explores why we dress up our dogs, get too attached to inanimate objects, and sometimes find ourselves arguing with ChatGPT. From friendly alligators to fauxnads, Justin explains how attributing human qualities to animals, objects and AIs can make us smarter, kinder — and occasionally a little delusional.  On our Parish Noticeboard, we trade the clamour of the city for the steady rhythm of cut tile and grout at the Hackney Mosaic Project — a place where volunteers piece together hope, community and colour one tiny tile at a time. It’s a gentle reminder that creativity can be a holiday from your own head, and that some of the city’s most moving artwork has a deeper story behind it than you might think. Then Audio Archives returns with a newly unearthed — and increasingly unhinged — festive radio commercial featuring vanished 80s icon Jay Gladrock. What begins as a simple cereal advert soon descends into chaos, ego, and nut-based wordplay. It may well be the last surviving recording of Gladrock before he disappeared from public life entirely. Listener theories are, as ever, welcome.  Finally, we round things off with a festive Victorian Parlour Game: The Minister’s Cat. Straight from Fezziwig’s Christmas gatherings, this classic game of quick wits and alphabetical adjectives is your guaranteed cure for a post-turkey slump! So settle in as we wander from curious minds to tiny tiles, from lost legends to lively language — all here in The Big Smoke. — Links 🧠 Justin Gregg – Website 📘 Humanish by Justin Gregg – Book 🎨 Hackney Mosaic Project – Official Site 📚 Tessa Hunkin’s Hackney Mosaic Project – Book 🍁 Maple Leaf or Make Believe – CBC Video 🍁 Maple Leaf or Make Believe – CBC Article — Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:35) Pub Quiz: Maple Leaf or Make Believe (02:35) Justin Gregg Interview (49:24) Parish Notices: Hackney Mosaic Project (57:05) Audio Archives: Unreleased Commercial (1:10:49) Victorian Parlour Games (1:13:00) Live Christmas Show  (1:14:20) Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answers (1:15:24) Outro — 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 written by Aidan Parker and performed by Jamie Sandersfield, Matthew Nicholson and Cait Roddam Jones

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! We’re slipping a little audio chocolate into your advent calendar: the true origin of Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer, plus a reading of the original 1939 story that made him a star. A festive treat from The Big Smoke family to start the holiday season. This piece was created by our host Kevin Bennett and is starring actors Adam Cunis and Hollie Hales. It warmed the hearts of the audience at our 2024 Christmas live show, so we wanted to share it with you as you open the first door of your advent calendars! If you'd like to join the fun at our live show this year, click the link below for info and tickets. Happy Holidays from The Big Smoke Variety Show! 🎟️ The Big Smoke LIVE Christmas Special is at The Phoenix Arts Club in Soho on 14th December, 2025 — expect ghost stories, games, music and festive mischief. — Chapters (00:00) Intro (00:30) How Rudolph Came To Be (05:27) Rudolph the Red-Nosed Reindeer (17:10) 2025 Live Christmas Show — 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 — Adam Cunis is an actor who’s recent work includes 'A Midsummer Night's Dream' (Bridge Theatre), and 'Macbeth Storytelling' and 'The Woman in the Moon' (Shakespeare's Globe - Sam Wanamaker Playhouse). He recently appeared in ‘Suspect: the Shooting of Jean Charles De Menezes’ (Disney+). His audio work includes Outliers podcast (Historic Royal Palaces) and The Incident Room (New Diorama).   Hollie Hales trained at RADA. Her recent theatre work includes 'A Midsummer Night’s Dream' (Bridge Theatre). Her audio work includes the ‘Tales of a Monstrous Heart’ fantasy trilogy by Jennifer Delaney (Audible). She works with Jane Austen’s house and will be performing readings for ‘A Celebration of Jane Austen’ in December and ‘Rebel Readings’ a collection of Jane’s favourite works at the museum in Chawton in January.  

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show! This week, we raise a glass to Britain’s most beloved institution — the pub — and explore how these living rooms of London connect history, community and creativity in ways as rich as any museum or gallery. First, our guests pull up a stool: its pub historian Charo Havermans and artist Lydia Wood. Together they explore how pubs began in the hands of women, why they became vital community “third spaces,” and how a good pub can feel like stepping into someone else’s living room — or even stepping back in time.  On our Parish Noticeboard, we wander from one place of warm company to another —  Hoxton Hall. A Victorian music hall with over 160 years of creativity, care and community under its rafters. Once home to circus acts and performing dogs, now home to a powerful Creative Health Initiative. After all that history (and a few imaginary pints), it’s time to consult our hilarious and historical Doctor Quack, who finds himself called upon to assist with a delivery — a job he isn’t entirely equipped for. Finally, we catch our breath with Archie’s Neuro Nuggets, as he strolls through Battersea Park to explain the soothing science of white, pink and brown noise — the perfect counterbalance to the lively chorus of the pub. So pull up a chair, pour yourself your favourite pint, and join us as we wander from bar rooms to music halls, from questionable medicine to calming soundscapes — all here in The Big Smoke. 🎟️ The Big Smoke LIVE Christmas Special is at The Phoenix Arts Club in Soho on 14th December — expect ghost stories, games, music and festive mischief. — Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:38) Pub Quiz: Kings Head or Kings Bed? (02:30) Charo Havermans and Lydia Wood Interview (51:46) Parish Notices: Hoxton Hall (58:47) Dr Quack (1:06:58) Live Christmas Show (1:08:27) Archie’s Neuro Nuggets (1:14:28) Pub Quiz Answers (1:16:31) Outro — Links 📚 Locals – Pre-order Lydia Wood’s Book 🗓️ Lydia Wood – 2026 Pub Calendar & Website 🎨 Lydia Wood – Instagram 🍺 Book a Historic Pub Tour with Charo Havermans 📸 Charo Haverman – Instagram 🍻 Back Behind the Bar: Pub Landladies of East London 🎭 Hoxton Hall 🐊 Dr Quack – Crocodile Dung Contraceptive  🥛 Dr Quack – Milk Blood Transfusion  🧠 Archie McAlpine – Neuro Nuggets — 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 explore philosophy, freedom, and the peculiar ways we find meaning — from the quiet depths of the soil to the bustling banks of the River Thames. First, Kevin is joined by Professor Edward Harcourt, Academic Director of The Royal Institute of Philosophy, celebrating its centenary year. Together they ask: what is philosophy, really? How can it help us think, question, and live better? Edward shares how puzzlement, not wonder, is where true philosophy begins — and what the institute’s mission, real philosophy for everyone, meant in 1925 and what it means today. On our Parish Noticeboard, we dig into the curious world of worm charming — the ancient, oddly musical art of luring earthworms from the soil. With the help of worm expert Dr Kevin Butt, we learn how this humble tradition connects communities, science, and the secret lives beneath our feet.  Then, we turn to one of The Royal Institute of Philosophy’s most inspiring outreach projects — Unlocking Minds, a prison education programme co-founded by Paul and Dan. Through pop music and film, they bring philosophy into prisons, sparking reflection, debate, and discovery in places where freedom of thought is most deeply desired. Finally, our resident Mudlark Sean Clark brings us to the River Thames to reveal his latest find — a centuries-old quant, better known as the “non-sexy end of a barge pole”. It’s a muddy reminder that London’s history is always just below the surface, waiting to be unearthed. So pull up a chair, pour yourself something puzzling, and join us as we dig into ideas, earth, and everything in between in The Big Smoke. 🎟️ The Big Smoke LIVE Christmas Special is coming to The Phoenix Arts Club, Soho – 14th December. Expect ghost stories, lively games, seasonal music and festive mischief. — Chapters (00:00) Intro (01:27) Pub Quiz: Maple Leaf or Make Believe (02:27) Edward Harcourt Interview (32:05) Live Christmas Show (33:35) Parish Notices: Worm Charming (43:06) Unlocking Minds: Philosophy in Prisons Interview (1:15:46) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find (1:20:07) Maple Leaf or Make Believe Answers (1:21:31) Outro — Links 💫 Become a Patron – Unlock Your Backstage Pass 🧠 The Royal Institute of Philosophy 🪱 World Worm Charming Championships – Willaston 🪱 Blackawton International Festival of Worm Charming – South Devon 📚 Worm by Dr Kevin Butt 🍁 Maple Leaf or Make Believe Article — 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