Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week, we follow the rich and robust story of coffee in London, from smoky 17th-century coffeehouses to the modern-day communities forming around a simple cup.

Kevin is joined by historian Dr Matthew Green and Redemption Roasters’ In-custody Training Manager Thomas Clare to explore the past and present of London’s coffee culture. From the first coffee house in St Michael’s Alley, to the explosion of hundreds of coffeehouses across the city, Matthew paints a vivid picture of a society waking up, quite literally, for the first time. But this isn’t just history. Thomas brings us into the present day, sharing the work of Redemption Roasters, where coffee becomes a vehicle for rehabilitation, training prisoners in skills that offer purpose, dignity, and a path forward. Together, the conversation reveals coffee not just as a drink, but as a catalyst for ideas, community, and change.

From the café to the street corner, our Parish Notices turn to the quiet magic of Little Libraries — those small, often handmade book exchanges that appear in neighbourhoods across the city. Modest in scale but rich in spirit, they transform passing strangers into neighbours, offering stories freely and reminding us that community can be built in the simplest of ways.

And while we’re out wandering with coffee in hand and book tucked under arm, we stumble into comedian Kate Sharp, who leads us on a slightly unhinged tour of London’s Blue Plaques. Blending history with humour, her take on the city’s most famous markers reminds us that behind every plaque is a story — and sometimes, a punchline.

Then it’s time to pop into the local for a quick Pub Quiz, this round: Coffee Curiosities — testing your knowledge of the surprising facts hidden in your daily brew.

So whether you’re lingering over a coffee, wandering the streets, or simply taking a moment to breathe, there’s always space for you in The Big Smoke

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☕ Pub Quiz: Coffee Curiosities — Answers

1) What do people in Finland sometimes dip into their coffee?

Answer: C) Cheese

In Finland, it’s traditional in some regions to serve coffee with leipäjuusto, a mild “squeaky” cheese. Small chunks are dropped straight into the cup, where they soften and soak up the coffee — then eaten afterwards.

2) Why is one of Indonesia’s coffees among the most expensive in the world?

Answer: B) The beans are eaten and then excreted by an animal before being collected

In Indonesia, kopi luwak is made using beans that have passed through the digestive system of civet cats. The process is said to change the flavour profile, and its rarity has made it one of the most expensive coffees in the world.

3) What do people in Turkey sometimes do with leftover coffee grounds?

Answer: B) Read them to tell your fortune

In Turkey, after drinking traditional coffee, the cup is often turned upside down and the remaining grounds are read to predict the future — a practice known as tasseography.

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Links

🚶 Take Matthew Green’s Coffeehouse Tour

☕ Redemption Roasters

📚 Penguin – 90 Little Bookstops

📖 Little Free Library – and how to build your own!

🎤 See Kate Sharp’s Standup Comedy

🔵 English Heritage Blue Plaques – Harry Beck

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro and Show Menu

(02:19) Matthew Green and Thomas Clare Interview

(50:17) Parish Notices: Little Libraries

(1:00:55) Blue Plaque Walking Tour: Harry Beck

(1:10:18) Pub Quiz: Coffee Curiosities

(1:11:42) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Parish Notices by Blanche Coy

Blue Plaque Walking Tour written and performed by Kate Sharp

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week we lean into that strange, in-between season — when winter lingers, spring teases, and the city begins to stir once more. From the quiet reflection of Covent Garden’s Actors’ Church to the tidal rhythms of the Thames, we explore how London — and perhaps all of us — finds its way from darkness into light.

Kevin is joined by Reverend Simon Grigg, rector of St Paul’s Church in Covent Garden, affectionately known as The Actors’ Church. Together they uncover the remarkable history of a parish that has cared for London’s performers since the 17th century — from the licensed playhouses of Charles II to the plaques of theatre legends that line its walls today. But beyond the history, the conversation turns to something more immediate: how we navigate the bleakness of late winter, the meaning of Lent, and why this season isn’t about “organised gloom” at all, but renewal, joy, and finding space for reflection in a world that rarely pauses.

From the pulpit to the riverbank, we head down to the Thames foreshore with our resident mudlark Sean Clark. Among the shingle, a small fragment of Tudor pottery reveals a brilliant piece of theatrical history — and the origin of the phrase “box office smash”. It’s a story that takes us back to Shakespeare’s London, where money boxes were quite literally smashed open at the start of a performance. Another reminder that beneath the surface of the city, history is always waiting to be found.

Then it’s time to pop into the local for a quick Pub Quiz, testing your knowledge of Theatrical Superstitions. From the curse of The Scottish Play to the traditions performers follow to keep fate on their side, this round celebrates the rituals and folklore that still shape life on stage.

So as the days grow longer and the light begins to return, wherever you find yourself — emerging from winter or stepping into something new — there’s always a place for you in The Big Smoke.

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Pub Quiz: Theatrical Superstitions – Answers

1. The Macbeth curse ritual - Tradition says that if someone says “Macbeth” inside a theatre they must leave the theatre, spin around three times, spit (or curse), and knock before being allowed back in.
2. Merde - French performers wish each other “merde”. The tradition dates from the 19th century, when audiences arrived by horse-drawn carriages. A successful performance meant lots of carriages waiting outside the theatre — and therefore lots of horse manure in the street. More merde meant a bigger crowd and a successful show.
3. Whistling backstage - Many early stagehands were former sailors, and they used whistle signals to control scenery and rigging, so random whistling could accidentally trigger cues and move heavy stage machinery.

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🎭 St. Paul's Covent Garden, The Actors’ Church

🚶🏻‍♂️ Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Walking Tour

🤲🏻 Hands on History Mudlarking Exhibition

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro & Show Menu

(01:51) Reverend Simon Grigg Interview

(43:03) Sean Clark the Mudlark’s Latest Find

(50:00) Pub Quiz: Theatrical Superstitions

(51:39) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Welcome to The Big Smoke Variety Show!

This week we stroll the hard streets of South London, tracing the world that shaped one of the greatest entertainers of all time, and the music halls that lit up Victorian London. Along the way we celebrate the city’s living performers too, from Underground buskers to a little magical mischief on our own audio stage.

Kevin is joined by curator and author Dr Jacqueline Riding to explore the working-class neighbourhoods that formed the young Charlie Chaplin. Drawing from her book Hard Streets: Working Class Lives in Charlie Chaplin’s London, Jacqueline reveals the vibrant, precarious world of Victorian music halls, workhouses, and the communities that produced some of the era’s most extraordinary performers. From the explosion of population south of the Thames to the gritty realities of the Poor Law system, the conversation paints a vivid portrait of the lives behind the laughter — and how creativity offered a path out of hardship.

From the stage to the subterranean, our Parish Notices turn to the buskers of the London Underground. With the help of musician Charlotte Campbell, we explore how busking transforms anonymous commuter spaces into fleeting moments of connection and community. Whether loved or loathed, street performance continues a tradition stretching back centuries — turning passing crowds into temporary audiences and ordinary journeys into something a little more magical.

Back on our audio stage, The Strange Brothers return for another attempt at mastering the mystical arts. This time a mysterious spellbook appears, an ancient incantation is unleashed, and things escalate rather more dramatically than expected. Apprentice magicians Salazar and Craig may not yet have perfected their craft — but they’re certainly finding some real magic along the way.

Finally, we pop into the local for a quick Pub Quiz, testing your knowledge of Cockney rhyming slang — the playful coded language born in the streets of 19th century London.

So wherever you’re listening from — strolling the South Bank, riding the tube, or simply daydreaming about the magic of the city — there’s always a seat waiting for you in The Big Smoke.

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Rub-a-dub (Pub) Quiz: Cockney Rhyming Slang — Answers

1. “The first question should be lemon squeezy.” Lemon squeezy = easy

2. “Watch your plates of meat. Those apples are old and rickety!” Plates of meat = feet Apples and pears (apples) = stairs

3. “Got any sausage? I’m cream crackered and need some sticky toffee.” Sausage and mash (sausage) = cash Cream crackered = knackered / very tired Sticky toffee = coffee

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Links

📚 Get the book – Hard Streets

🎩 Charlie Chaplin’s London – Lambeth Walk

✍🏼 Jacqueline Riding

🎶 Busker Charlotte Campbell

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Chapters

(00:00) Intro and Show Menu

(02:02) Dr Jacqueline Riding Interview

(57:54) Parish Notices: Underground Buskers

(1:08:12) The Strange Brothers

(1:16:57) Pub Quiz: Cockney Rhyming Slang

(1:19:06) Outro

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Credits

Hosted & Executive Produced by Kevin Bennett

Produced & Edited by Alex Graham

Original Music by Giles Terera

Music arranged and played by Joseph Atkins

Parish Notices and episode research by Blanche Coy

The Strange Brothers written and performed by Jamie Sandersfield and Matthew Nicholson