Front Row

BBC Radio 4
  • 4.4 (121)
  • SOCIETY & CULTURE
  • UPDATED DAILY

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

  1. 2D AGO

    Review: Mark Haddon's memoir - Leaving Home, Twinless film, Mackenzie Crook's Small Prophets

    Tom is joined by reviewers Tristram Fane Saunders and Natalie Jamieson to discuss... Mark (The Curious Incident of The Dog in the Night-time) Haddon's autobiography Leaving Home. The dark comedy film Twinless about two men who lost their respective twin brothers and develop a growing friendship after meeting in a support group. And Mackenzie Crook's new TV series Small Prophets, which stars Michael Palin. Also Saturday Night Live has announced its UK line-up, and the return of The Muppets. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe

    43 min

  2. 3D AGO

    Musician Martin Carthy on retiring from performing live

    Folk musician Martin Carthy speaks about his long career and about his recent decision to retire from live performance following a diagnosis of late-onset Alzheimer's Disease; As a major retrospective of the work of Gwen John goes on display at National Museum Cardiff, the exhibition's curator Lucy Wood and historian of visual culture Becca Voelcker discuss this formidable and fascinating modernist. 77-year-old curator Alison Luchs of the National Gallery of Art in Washington DC has gone viral with her social media videos in which she speaks to Gen Z in their own language. She speaks to Front Row about slaying as an online phenomenon. And ENO's new Music Director Designate, German conductor André de Ridder, speaks to us about his plans for the opera company and about the forthcoming production of Rise and Fall of the City of Mahagonny by Kurt Weill and Bertold Brecht, a piece which he has described as "frighteningly relevant". Presenter: Kate Molleson Producer: Mark Crossan

    42 min

  3. 3D AGO

    Jared Bush, head of Walt Disney Animation Studios, on his record-breaking film Zootropolis 2

    Jared Bush, head of Walt Disney Animation Studios, on his record-breaking film Zootropolis 2. Alex Tadros, owner of Mars Tapes, the last cassette shop in the UK, and culture writer Sian Pattenden on the resurgence of the cassette tape. Oliver Royds, co-founder and joint CEO of Troubadour Theatres, on his company's plans to create London's biggest theatre venue in Greenwich. Debris Stevenson on her new play My Brother's a Genius, and how rap battles helped her to co-create the RSC's new production of Cyrano de Bergerac which will be heading to London's West End. Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

    42 min

  4. 5D AGO

    The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry - on stage

    Author Rachel Rachel Joyce and musician Passenger discuss the new musical based on Rachel's hit book The Unlikely Pilgrimage of Harold Fry. Eric Schlosser’s book Fast Food Nation has been republished after 25 years as a Penguin Classic. Samira Ahmed talks to the author about the impact of the book. Emily Itami and comedian Iszi Lawrence review the British Museum's new exhibition "Samurai". Critic Tim Robey on the work of Catherine O'Hara, following news of her death.

    42 min

  5. JAN 29

    Reviewing Is This Thing On? Guess How Much I Love You? and George Saunders

    Tom Sutcliffe and guests Viv Groskop and Dorian Lynskey, review Bradley Cooper's film Is This Thing On? - about a marriage in crisis and a comedian on the rise. Guess How Much I Love You? is the new play by Luke Norris at London's Royal Court Theatre, which deals with starting a family, enduring love and impossible choices And George Saunders' new book, Vigil, set in the living world and the world of the dead and the in-between. Also how successful is British soft power in China? Presenter Tom Sutcliffe

    43 min

  6. JAN 28

    John Carter Cash on his musical production The Ballad of Johnny & June

    John Carter Cash on how the lives of his famous parents - Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash - have inspired a stage musical which tells the story of the couple's long love story but also tackles addiction head on. As a long-lost portrait of poet Robert Burns by the acclaimed artist Henry Raeburn goes on display, art historian Bendor Grosvenor and art journalist Melanie Gerlis discuss how experts go about attributing a painting to a great artist. While technology can show us detail far beyond the paint on the canvas, will human expertise and discernment always be necessary in cases such as this? And author Benjamin Wood talks about his atmospheric novel Seascraper, which centres the story of a young shrimper in a coastal town in the north of England who dreams of becoming a folk singer, and which has won the Nero prize for fiction. Presenter: Kate Molleson Producer: Mark Crossan

    42 min

  7. JAN 27

    Michael Sheen, Laurel & Hardy, writer Patrick Charnley

    Michael Sheen on the first production of his newly-formed Welsh National Theatre, Thornton Wilder’s 1938 play Our Town seen through a Welsh lens. Film critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh reacts to the Bafta nominations announced today and how they compare with last week's Oscar's list. 100 years since Laurel and Hardy united for their first film, Neil Brand discusses the comedy duo with film historian Pamela Hutchinson. And writer Patrick Charnley discusses his Cornwall-set novel This My Second Life, which came out of his experience being clinically dead for forty minutes, and his subsequent recovery from a life changing brain injury. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Lucy Collingwood

    42 min

  8. JAN 26

    Richard Linklater on Nouvelle Vague

    Richard Linklater speaks to Samira Ahmed about his new film Nouvelle Vague. Robbie Williams has beaten the Beatles' record for the most UK album chart number ones - we ask former Spotify exec Will Page how he's done it. Daughters of Donbas is a musical project, created by Ukrainian musicians to bring the world’s attention to the kidnapping by Russian authorities of Ukrainian children. Samira speaks with two of its members - Marichka and Liza – about what they hope it could achieve Why is there a wave of children’s authors turning to writing fiction for adults? We talk to Francesca Simon MBE - bestselling author of the Horrid Henry Books and now the Welsh-myth inspired Salka - as well as Liz Flanagan who has written her first historical novel for older readers, When We Were Divided. Presenter Samira Ahmed Producer Harry Graham

    42 min
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Hosts & Guests

4.4
out of 5
121 Ratings

About

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

Information

  • Creator
    BBC Radio 4
  • Years Active
    2006 - 2026
  • Episodes
    2K
  • Rating
    Clean
  • Copyright
    © (C) BBC 2026
  • Show Website
    Front Row

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