Front Row

BBC Radio 4

Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music

  1. 18 DEC

    Reviews of the film Marty Supreme, Into the Woods on stage and Natalie Haynes on Immersive Exhibitions

    Scott Bryan and Rhianna Dhillon join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss sports drama Marty Supreme which stars Timothée Chalamet as a table tennis hustler who dreams of becoming a world champion in 1950s New York. They also discuss Stephen Sondheim’s fairytale production Into the Woods which is at London’s Bridge Theatre. Plus they review Sentimental Value – Joachim Trier’s film which stars Stellan Skarsgård as a film director trying to mend his family through the camera. Finally, classicist and writer Natalie Haynes gives her verdict on the growing trend for Immersive Exhibitions about the Ancient World. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Claire Bartleet

    42 min

  2. 17 DEC

    Actor Will Sharpe on playing Mozart in Amadeus

    As a new adaptation of Peter Shaffer's Amadeus begins on Sky, actor Will Sharpe speaks to Front Row about he researched the role of Mozart, and music historian Flora Willson and Music Director of the Dunedin Consort John Butt discuss how recent research helps us better understand the man and his music. Baroness Margaret Hodge - whose review into Arts Council England was published this week - tells us about her findings and recommendations. And with just a week to go until Christmas, broadcaster Bex Lindsay delivers her recommendations of books for children this festive season. The books discussed were: How To Grow A Reindeer’ written by Rachel Morrisroe, illustrated by Steven Lenton Robin by Sarah Ann Juckes Elle McNicoll’s Role Model Presenter: Kate Molleson Producer: Mark Crossan

    42 min

  3. 16 DEC

    Jane Austen at 250 special

    Jane Austen is often seen as an isolated genius who appeared from nowhere, or she is treated with a simplistic cult-like reverance which overlooks the complexities of her work. In this special edition of Front Row, exactly 250 years after Austen's birth, we take a close critical eye to a writer who innovated the novel as a form and revolutionised a literary style rarely seen before. Fellow novelists Tessa Hadley and Kamila Shamsie join Samira, alongside academics Professor John Mullan and Dr. Sophie Coulombeau, to deeply delve into the texts themselves, revealing a witty writer herself steeped in the literature of her day, discussing how she contsantly evolved her craft and why her status has fluctuated with trends across the last two centuries. With readings by Dame Harriet Walter Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Ciaran Bermingham

    42 min

  4. 15 DEC

    The great works of Rob Reiner

    Hollywood giant Rob Reiner was found dead alongside his wife Michele at their Los Angeles Home this morning. Telegraph film critic Robbie Collin joins to discuss the life and career of the famed director of such classics as This Is Spinal Tap, When Harry Met Sally and The Princess Bride. Roland Gift, the lead singer of the hit 80s band Fine Young Cannibals, is live in session, playing one of the group's biggest hits and talking about the 40th anniversary of the release of their self-titled debut album. It's pantomime season once again, but what do modern audiences actually want from the panto, and how do we balance modern sensitivities with frivolity and fun? We hear from theatre producer Emily Wood, currently putting on numerous pantos across the country, and actor Abdullah Afzal, who's the founder of the Muslim Panto Theatre company. Actor and Wrexham FC Director Humphrey Kerr talks about co-writing and starring in Sherlock Holmes & the 12 Days of Christmas Following news that best-selling author Joanna Trollope has died at the age 82, we've dug into the BBC archive to find a 2010 interview with Joanna. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Harry Graham

    42 min

  5. 11 DEC

    Reviewing Ella McCay plus the film's Oscar-winning writer and director James L. Brooks

    Film producer Jason Solomons and literary journalist Suzi Feay join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss the contemporary thriller Lurker which shows what happens when the line between popstar and fan gets blurred. They also talk about The Pelican Child a short story collection by Pulitzer Prize-nominated author Joy Williams. And the film Ella McCay is reviewed; a political comedy-drama that follows an idealistic woman juggling being state governor with a complicated family life. Tom also speaks to the film’s director James L. Brooks, whose Oscar-winning work includes Terms of Endearment and As Good as It Gets. Brooks also co-created the Simpsons. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Claire Bartleet

    42 min

  6. 10 DEC

    96-year-old actress June Squibb on her lead role in Scarlett Johansson's Eleanor the Great

    Actress June Squibb on her lead role in Scarlett Johansson's debut feature Eleanor the Great, in which a woman in her 90s moves back from Florida to Manhattan and forms a friendship with a young journalism student - the film explores themes of grief, the Holocaust, truth and lies. Jenny Colgan pays tribute to her fellow bestselling novelist Sophie Kinsella, whose death was announced today. From the daring heist on the Louvre in Paris in October to the theft of Matisse artworks from Brazil's second-largest library just this week, we discuss 2025's spate of museum heists with investigative journalist Riah Pryor and with Sunna Altnoder of UNESCO, who have recently opened a Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects. Artist Michael Fullerton discusses the symbolism in his portraits of asylum seekers, painted during his time working in the kitchen of a hotel in Carlisle, and which are on display at Edinburgh's City Art Centre until March. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

    42 min

  7. 9 DEC

    2025 Turner Prize winner; remembering Martin Parr; Bradford’s year as the UK City of Culture

    Tonight, the winner of the 2025 Turner Prize will be announced in Bradford, this year’s City of Culture. Joining Nick to discuss the runners and riders is arts journalist at the Yorkshire Post, Yvette Huddleston. The death of the photographer Martin Parr was announced over the weekend. His reputation was established with his colourful1980s seaside holiday pictures. To remember his life and legacy, we hear from photographer Stephen McCoy who currently has a show at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol. Egyptian Queen Nefertiti is rumoured to have been one of the most desirable women in the ancient world but could things turn ugly over the location of the bust of Nefertiti? With the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, there have been renewed calls for it to be returned to Egypt from the Berlin’s Neues Museum where it’s currently on display. Heba Abd el Gawad, Senior Curator of Anthropology at London’s Horniman Museum, and Professor Sebastian Conrad, who has written extensively on Nefertiti, discuss the issues. Punchdrunk is a theatre company that has been pushing at the boundaries of theatre for over two decades. It pioneered fully immersive experiences, creating worlds where audiences become active participants rather than passive spectators. Their latest show is Lander 23, a live-action video game, set on a distant planet where a previous crew has mysteriously vanished. Nick paid a visit to the company’s home in Woolwich, London. Arts journalist Yvette Huddleston reflects on Bradford’s year in the spotlight. Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

    43 min

  8. 8 DEC

    Kate Winslet on Goodbye June

    Kate Winslet speaks to Samira Ahmed about her directorial debut, Goodbye June. With a screenplay written by her son Joe Anders, the film portrays complex family dynamics colliding with the surreal realities of palliative care. With talks around a possible peace deal in Ukraine ongoing, we discuss whether the country has effectively used arts and culture to further the national cause. We hear from conductor and founder of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra Keri-Lynn Wilson, and visual artist Pavlo Makov. Entertainment journalist Al Horner joins from Los Angeles to talk about the latest twist in the on-going battle between Netflix and Paramount to takeover the famed film studio Warner Bros. He also walks us through the winners and snubs from today's Golden Globe nominations. Filmmaker Noah Baumbach, best known for co-writing the blockbuster Barbie movie with his wife Greta Gerwig, talks about his new film Jay Kelly, which stars George Clooney as one of Hollywood's most famous stars who is struggling to figure out who loves him when the cameras stop rolling. And we remember the life and career of the acclaimed architect Frank Gehry.

    42 min
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Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music

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  • Maker
    BBC Radio 4
  • Jaren actief
    2006 - 2025
  • Afleveringen
    2K
  • Beoordeling
    Veilig
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    © (C) BBC 2025
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    Front Row
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