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Front Row reviews David Hockney's "A Year in Normandy" exhibition, exploring his iPad frieze and traditional portraits, and discusses Asako Yuzuki's new novel "Hooked," a satirical look at female alienation in Japanese society. The program also examines "The Tasters," a film about women forced to taste Hitler's food, and shares insights into the BBC National Short Story Award from judge Tahmima Anam. Reviewers also offer their personal cultural recommendations.
Front Row delves into "The Other Bennet Sister," a new BBC drama offering a fresh perspective on Mary Bennet from Pride and Prejudice, with screenwriter Sarah Quintrell. James McAvoy discusses his directorial debut, "California Schemin'," a film based on the true story of Scottish rappers who faked American accents for success. The program also marks the 800th anniversary of St. Francis of Assisi's death, exploring his artistic and spiritual influence, and examines the art market with discussions on major acquisitions and preserving national collections.
Front Row features Booker Prize winner Howard Jacobson discussing his novel "Howl," a profound reaction to the October 7th massacre and its moral aftermath, exploring generational divides and Jewish identity through dark humor. The episode also highlights the "Don't Steal This Book" campaign, with Philippa Gregory outlining authors' battle against AI scraping copyrighted work. Additionally, singer-songwriter Thea Gilmore introduces "The Echo Line," her project turning anonymous messages into songs, and the global phenomenon of short-form vertical dramas is examined, covering their rapid growth, business models, and potential as a new art form.
This episode features an in-depth interview with Cillian Murphy about the new Peaky Blinders film and its cultural impact. It also explores the controversy surrounding Timothée Chalamet's comments on opera and ballet, sparking a debate on arts funding and elitism. Additionally, the London Book Fair's latest sales data reveals shifts in publishing trends, including the rise of 'Romantasy' and the state of non-fiction, followed by an interview with author Deepa Anapara about her new historical novel exploring 19th-century Tibet.
Front Row explores three distinct cultural works: Maggie Gyllenhaal's 'The Bride!', a re-imagining of Frankenstein's tale; Rebecca Sarah Ley's 'Bad Fiction', a novel dissecting a creative writing course; and Masha Shilinsky's 'Sound of Falling', a German film delving into family secrets. The episode also highlights Ireland's 'Northern Literary Lands' initiative, aiming for UNESCO recognition, and invites listeners to share stories about life-changing books.
Will Self dives in to his latest satirical novel in which he looks at the alienation of modern life, and takes a stab at middle-class life. He discusses how his experiences with cancer have impacted his writing, and his outlook. 75 years after the death of composer and performer Ivor Novello, we celebrate his life and works - from musicals to the talkies. Kirsty is joined by Novello specialist Ian McMillan-Davidson and conductor and composer Sir John Rutter. In 1976 a firebomb at Malone House in...
Author Julia Quinn published The Duke and I, the first novel in her eight-part Bridgerton series, in 2000. Twenty years later the adaption of her books would become a television phenomenon. Julia reflects on the place of class, race, and sex in her Regency romances and why getting a call from one of television's most successful producers was such a transformative moment for the genre that she loves. With the government proposing an overnight visitor levy or ‘tourism tax’ in England, Nick talks t...
Media journalist Al Horner discusses the latest twist in Warner Bros sale. Pixar's chief creative officer Pete Docter on the inner workings of the animation giant as it marks its 40th anniversary this year. 100 years after his birth, and with a special BFI season underway, we assess the work of the Polish director Andrzej Wajda, with fellow director Agnieszka Holland and film writer Ian Christie. British painter Rose Wylie's Royal academy retrospective opened last week. Samira sat down to speak ...
Art critic Louisa Buck and writer Chris Power giving their verdicts on Tracey Emin: a second life at Tate Modern. This landmark exhibition spans 40 years and includes famous works such as My Bed to recent paintings and bronzes which are on display for the first time. They will also be reviewing the Oscar nominated film Sirât - which tells the story of a father travelling the Moroccan desert with ravers in the hope of finding his missing daughter. And they discuss Bird Grove, a play which tells t...
Poet Laureate of the United States, Arthur Sze is one of the most admired poets of the past five decades influencing the work of Poet Laureates and Nobel Physicists. His work focusses on imagery from nature and he will talk about his latest collection and his first UK publication, Into The Hush. The Glasgow Film Festival opening film, Everybody to Kenmure Street tells the story of the community response to a dawn raid by Immigration Officers on Kenmure Street, a diverse community in the southsid...
The full scale invasion of Ukraine began four years ago today. Ukraine Unbroken is an evening of five new plays written in response to the war. David Edgar talks about his, Five Day War, which imagines the puppet government waiting to move in when Kviv falls, and the other dramas. Between the plays Ukrainian musician Mariia Petrovska sings and plays the bandura. She talks about her involvement and the bandura, the national instrument that was once banned. And Mariia plays and sings live in the s...
Fifty years on from the death of painter LS Lowry, the BBC has made a documentary featuring recently discovered recordings made in the last years of his life. Recorded by Lowry fan Angela Barratt over a period of four years, the tapes have been lip-synced for the documentary, with Ian McKellen playing Lowry and Annabel Smith as Barratt. Art historian Verity Babbs and curator of the Lowry Collection, Claire Stewart, join Samira Ahmed to discuss the painter's life and legacy. Actress Neve Campbell...
Poet, playwright and curator Inua Ellams and film critic Hanna Flint join Tom Sutcliffe for this week's reviews. Riding high after the huge success of the Wicked films, actor Cynthia Erivo returns to the London stage for a one-woman production of Bram Stoker's Dracula, in which she plays all the parts. Last summer was dubbed 'brat summer' by the press, with the word 'brat' entering the dictionary as an adjective - all in response to the pop album Brat by singer Charli XCX. In a new mockumentary,...
Director Mona Fastvold and actor Amanda Seyfried discuss their film The Testament of Ann Lee, a musical history about the life of the founder of The Shakers, a mystic who moved from Manchester to the United States in the 18th century and founded a religious community, and who advocated for celibacy, communal living, and gender equality. As a new production of George Bernard Shaw's St Joan opens, director Stewart Laing and theologian and art historian Ayla Lepine discuss how the 15th-century Fren...
In 1986 Jim Cartwright's debut play, Road, was the theatrical sensation of the year and its reputation has only grown in the decades that have followed. As a new production to mark its 40th anniversary opens at the Royal Exchange in Manchester, Jim Cartwright joins Front Row to reflect on why the play has had such an enduring impact. "How lovely yellow is! It stands for the sun.” So exclaimed Van Gogh in a letter. Now an exhibition, 'Yellow: Beyond Van Gogh's Colour', at the Van Gogh Museum in A...
Baz Luhrman's newest film is recently rediscovered footage showing Elvis Presley, live in concert at the height of his fame. We speak with Baz about his continuing love for The King. 75 years of The Archers; Emma Freud and Archer's editor Jeremy Howe discuss the world's longest running soap opera and how the programme has dealt with the attack on George Grundy. London's Royal Court Theatre is famous for productions that caused stir – Look Back in Anger, Saved, Blasted, The Rocky Horror Show. Its...
Anne Brontë biographer Samantha Ellis and writer Stephanie Merritt join Tom to discuss Emerald Fennell's racy adaptation of Wuthering Heights starring Margot Robbie. They also review Adolescence co-writer Jack Thorne's BBC adaptation of William Golding's Lord of the Flies. After a 35 year campaign, the South Bank Centre has secured Grade II listing. Former Artistic Director Jude Kelly and architecture historian Barnabas Calder talk about whether we're learning to love Brutalism. Finally, Samanth...
LIsa McGee on her fresh spin on the murder mystery genre How To Get to Heaven from Belfast, and on the impact of the Derry Girls phenomenon. At this month's Grammy Awards, Olivia Dean, Lola Young and FKA Twigs - all alumni of The Brit School in Croydon - walked off with prizes. We speak to the school's Principal, Stuart Worden, about how the school prepares students for a career in the music industry. And as the world premiere of The Great Wave, a new opera inspired by Hokusai's iconic print, ta...
The creator of Yes Minister - Jonathan Lynn - on his new play I’m Sorry Prime Minister. Griff Rhys Jones plays Jim Hacker, the octogenarian former Prime Minister. Clive Francis plays civil servant Sir Humphrey in this elegiac comedy which draws the saga to a close. Inside Aardman is a new exhibition opening at the Young V&A this week to mark the 50th anniversary of the creative company who have brought plasticine stop-motion animation to a global stage in the form of Wallace and Gromit. Tom ...
Hollywood star Kristen Stewart talks about her directorial debut, The Chronology of Water, which is a searing portrait of childhood abuse and redemption that’s based on the life story of author Lidia Yuknavitch. Seurat and the Sea is a new exhibition opening at London’s Courtauld Gallery. It features 26 paintings and sketches - many of which haven’t been seen together since they were created - that show the pointillist painter’s love for depicting the coast of northern France. Bad Bunny has made...
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. Prese...
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 w...
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 productio...
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.
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 S...
This episode of Front Row features an interview with John Carter Cash about "The Ballad of Johnny and June," a musical exploring his parents' complex love and struggles with addiction. It also delves into the controversy of politicians using pop music without artist consent and the exciting rediscovery and authentication of a lost Robert Burns portrait. Finally, author Benjamin Wood discusses his Nero Prize-winning novel, "Seascraper," detailing his immersive research and unique writing process.
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, whi...
Front Row features director Richard Linklater discussing his new film 'Nouvelle Vague,' an homage to French New Wave cinema, and his approach to recreating 1959 Paris. The program also delves into the growing trend of children's authors, like Francesca Simon, transitioning to adult fiction, examining their motivations and the genre's evolving landscape. Additionally, it highlights the Daughters of Donbass musical project, which uses traditional Ukrainian music to raise global awareness about children abducted by Russia. Finally, music economist Will Page explains how Robbie Williams broke The Beatles' UK album chart record, analyzing the surprising role of physical sales and Williams' enduring appeal.
Tom Sutcliffe is joined by film critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh and novelist Lawrence Norfolk to review: Korean auteur Park Chan-Wook's redundancy revenge thriller No Other Choice. Julian Barnes' Departure(s) which he's said will be his last book. Oliver Hermanus' film The History of Sound starring Paul Mescal and Josh O'Connor in a folk music love story. And they discuss the Oscar nominations which were announced today. And the Department for Culture, Media and Sport have announced that they will be...
Actor Claire Foy on her role as a grieving academic who finds solace in falconry in the film adaptation of Helen Macdonald's award-winning memoir H Is For Hawk. As it goes on display for a period of three months, Chris Cassells of the National Library of Scotland, Ashleigh Hibbins of Perth Museum and playwright and poet Liz Lochhead discuss the cultural significance of the last letter of Mary Queen of Scots, written hours before her execution in 1587. Two of the creative team behind Trolleydarit...
