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Strangers on a Bench — Documentary
Strangers on a Bench

Have you ever walked past a mysterious stranger on a park bench and wondered about their lives? Tom Rosenthal (singer-songwriter by trade) has spent the past year walking through various parks across the UK and Ireland, approaching random bench-dwellers and asking if he can sit next to them and record their conversation. Every stranger remains anonymous, neither name or place of work is ever revealed (even to Tom himself), leading to greater openness, intimacy, and surprising revelations from the participants.

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

Copyright: © Tom Rosenthal

Latest Episodes:

EPISODE 80: Pépito Mar 23, 2026

Show notes

**Content Warning - abuse and sexual assault**. Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : 'A Light' by Núria Graham

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/alight

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 79: Cormorants and Lewis Hamilton Mar 16, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : 'World's Best Kiss' by Toby Sebastian

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/worldsbestkiss

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 78: We Forget How To Play Mar 09, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : 'As You Turn Another Page' by Morgan Harper-Jones

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/asyouturnanotherpage

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 77: I See Dead People Mar 02, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : 'Spirit Comes to the Homewares Store' by Benny Profound

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/spiritcomestothehomewaresstore

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 76: Success, Sex, and The Cause Feb 23, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song: 'paint dry' by Olive Klug

Stream it here: https://ffm.to/paintdry

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 75: Donna Feb 16, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : 'Donna' by Father of Fred

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/donna-soab

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 74: Tuesday is Green Feb 09, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : 'Running into Colour' by Lemoncello

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/runningintocolour

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 73: Shut The F*** Up and Enjoy Your Life Feb 02, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : '..and enjoy your life!' by Jay Verma

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/andenjoyyourlife

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 72: Just Ask The Trees Jan 26, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : 'When We Land On This Earth' by Ella Tobin

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/wherewelandonthisearth

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

EPISODE 71: All Plumbers Are Philosophers Jan 19, 2026

Show notes

Tom Rosenthal approaches a stranger on a park bench and asks if he can sit down next to them and record their conversation.

This is what happened!

Produced by Tom Rosenthal

Edited by Rose De Larrabeiti

Mixed by Mike Woolley

Theme tune by Tom Rosenthal & Lucy Railton

Incidental music by Maddie Ashman

End song : 'Pull The String' by Luke Hart

Stream it here : https://ffm.to/pullthestring

Listen to all the end songs featured on the podcast (so far) on one handy playlist :

https://ffm.to/soabendsongs

————————————————————————————

Instagram : @strangersonabench

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

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