Episode #58
Mind the Gap: The Big Smoke Variety Show Update
Hello friends! Whether you’ve been along for the ride these past two years or have just stumbled across our show now, welcome and thanks for tuning in. This is just a quick note to let you know that The Big Smoke Variety Show is taking a little hiatus. We’ve decided to recharge our creative batteries and think about how we want to continue bringing wonderful stories, fascinating conversations, and a sense of community to you. If you’re only just discovering the show, I hope you’ll dive into our archive of evergreen episodes. In true variety show fashion, there’s a little bit of everything waiting for you. You can join a world-renowned hot air balloon pilot floating thousands of feet above the Earth, explore the hidden treasures discovered by mudlarks deep beneath the mud of the River Thames, learn all about London’s unique coffee history, and even hear why humans love to see faces just about everywhere. The idea for a modern variety show comes from my fascination and love for the rich tradition of variety entertainment history, from the Jacobean masques of Shakespeare’s day, through music hall and vaudeville, to the late-night talk shows I used to stay up late watching as a kid. These shows have always brought together different kinds of entertainment under one roof while exposing people to different ideas they may not have found otherwise. And that’s exactly what we’ve tried to do here, guided by three simple pillars: comedy, conversation, and community. Comedy has given us everything from the hysterical and historical Doctor Quack to the magical and mysterious Strange Brothers. Conversation has been an enormous privilege. We’ve had the chance to sit down with experts, artists, historians, scientists, performers and authors — all people deeply passionate about their own unique corner of the world — and we’ve invited all of you to become curious alongside them. And of course, community sits at the heart of everything. The greatest joy of making the show has always been bringing people together around ideas they never expected to find fascinating, introducing listeners to remarkable people and organisations, and encouraging all of us to bravely step out into the world a little more curious than we were before. Parish Notices, in particular, has become one of my favourite segments: a chance to celebrate people doing wonderful things in their neighbourhoods and hopefully inspire you to find or build a community of your own. I truly believe that connection and community is what being human is all about. So thank you for being part of this joyful and unique experiment. Whether you’ve listened to one episode or every single one, I’m incredibly grateful you chose to spend some of your time with us. This isn’t goodbye. Just… we’ll see you again soon. Here in The Big Smoke. — Credits Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett Produced & Edited by Alex Graham Original Theme Song by Giles Terera
