Today we’re going behind the foreboding doors of the Victorian workhouse to ask - ‘Could we survive it?’. From Oliver Twist's gruel to songs about flogging, from lice-ridden clothing to soul destroying isolation. Our guest is Oskar Jensen, author of "Vagabonds: Life on the Streets of Nineteenth Century London". 7:40 What Was a Victorian Workhouse? 15:23 Losing Your Identity: Entering the Workhouse 21:48 Gruel & Grind: Food and Labour Inside the Workhouse 30:01 Punishment, Control & Death in the Workhouse 40:08 Could You Survive? A Victorian's Undercover Report Edited by Tim Arstall. Research by Phoebe Joyce. Produced by Freddy Chick. Senior Producer is Charlotte Long. Video Edited by Anna Brant. After Dark: Myths, Misdeeds & the Paranormal is a History Hit podcast. Sign up to History Hit for hundreds of hours of original documentaries, with a new release every week and ad-free podcasts. Sign up at https://www.historyhit.com/subscribe. All music from Epidemic Sounds. #HistoryHitPodcast #AfterDark #OliverTwist #VictorianWorkhouse