Front Row: Archive 2013

With Mark Lawson.Ruth Rendell won the Theakstons Old Peculier Outstanding Contribution to Crime Fiction Award last month. She speaks to Mark about writing sixty novels in fifty years, how she's managing Inspector Wexford's retirement, her friendship with PD James and her second career as a Life Peer in the House of Lords.Denzel Washington and Mark Wahlberg star as two undercover agents attempting to infiltrate a drugs cartel by posing as criminals - but neither are aware of the others true identity. Directed by Icelandic film and theatre director Baltasar Kormákur, the film is based on a graphic novel series. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh reviews.The recession has so far been fertile ground for TV producers and this week sees the beginning of two new series looking at work, and lack of it, in Britain. The writer Tony Parsons and historian Kathryn Hughes review Benefits Britain 1949 on Channel 4 and Paul O'Grady's Working Britain on BBC One.Theatre director Michael Grandage offers his choice for the Cultural Exchange.Pr

With Kirsty Lang.Booker Prize-winning Irish author Roddy Doyle discusses why he decided to resurrect one of his earliest characters - Jimmy Rabbitte who first appeared in The Commitments 25 years ago - in his new novel The Guts. He also reflects on topics of conversation among men his own age, and offers his top tip to stop snoring. Sir Richard Eyre has returned to the National Theatre to direct Liola, a drama by the Italian playwright Luigi Pirandello. Set in rural Sicily at the end of the 19th century, the play centres on Liola - a charming young man who has caused controversy by fathering three sons with different women. Andrew Dickson reviews the new version by Tanya Ronder, which is performed by an Irish cast.The theatre director Josie Rourke brings the 1987 comedy drama film Broadcast News, starring William Hurt and Holly Hunter, to the Cultural Exchange.Disney's summer blockbuster The Lone Ranger, which stars Johnny Depp as Tonto, has flopped at the US box office and is expected to lose millions of dol

Novelist Naomi Alderman reports on the art of translating fiction, with writers Ian McEwan, A S Byatt, Ali Smith and David Baddiel.Every novelist dreams of being translated into dozens of foreign languages, but the relationship between author and translator can be fraught. If it goes right, it can lead to close friendship - but what happens when it goes wrong? And is a translation ultimately closer to being an original work than we might think?Naomi also joins three professionals for a translation slam. Adriana Hunter, Daniel Hahn and Frank Wynne discuss their different English versions of paragraphs from the French novel Around the World in Eighty Days by Jules Verne.

With Kirsty Lang.In Johnny Depp's latest film, he plays Tonto, the loyal companion to the Lone Ranger, played by Armie Hammer. The masked hero and his Native American friend fought injustice together in the Wild West, in a popular American TV series of the 1950s - but will the 21st century cinema version of The Lone Ranger be as successful? Writer Matt Thorne gives his verdict.Artist Conrad Shawcross has transformed the Roundhouse in London into a giant clock for his latest work Timepiece. However, it's a clock with a difference, as it has no face and incorporates a sun-dial which casts shadows on the floor of the performance venue.With this year's Edinburgh Festival fringe now in full swing, Stephen Armstrong reports on the comedy which has caught his eye so far.Actress Gemma Chan nominates the 1987 film The Princess Bride for the Cultural Exchange.It's arguably the best of times of jazz fans hoping to build a collection of classic albums, as LPs by jazz legends of the past are re-issued on CD at bargain pri

With Kirsty Lang.Foxfire is a new film adapted from Joyce Carol Oates' award-winning bestseller, set in America in 1953. Five headstrong teenage girls form a secret society, the Foxfire gang, in defiance of the violent male-dominated culture of their small town. American writer Diane Roberts reviews.Nick Payne's new play, The Same Deep Water As Me, explores the murky world of personal injury claims. Lawyers Andrew and Barry are focussing on legitimate clients until Andrew's old school friend appears with a plan to make a quick buck. Payne's last play, Constellations, was a love story set against a background of quantum physics - and he talks about choosing weighty topics for his dramas.Artist Cornelia Parker, best-known for blowing up a garden shed and suspending the fragments, reveals her Cultural Exchange choice: Dust Breeding, a photograph by the American surrealist, Man Ray.Charlotte Mendelson discusses her latest novel, Almost English, which has been longlisted for the Man Booker Prize for fiction. The h

With Kirsty Lang.The writer Louis de Bernières, best known for his novel Captain Corelli's Mandolin, discusses his first volume of poetry, Imagining Alexandria. De Bernieres has been writing poems since he was 12, but didn't want to publish until he felt he had 'hit his peak'. He discusses how he was inspired by his love of the Greek poet Cavafy to write about the ancient world, love affairs and the fleeting nature of youth.We assess the form of the bookies' favourites for the next Doctor Who, including Peter Capaldi, better known as foul-mouthed Malcolm Tucker in The Thick Of It.Singer-songwriter Cerys Matthews reveals her choice for Cultural Exchange.As John Burningham's first book Borka: The Adventures of a Goose With No Feathers reaches its 50th anniversary, Kirsty visits the illustrator and author in his home and talks about the books, his unconventional education, and his addiction to online auctions.Producer Stephen Hughes.

With Kirsty Lang. The acclaimed Ukrainian novelist Andrey Kurkov is best known in the UK for his cult novel Death and the Penguin. He reflects on the origins of his new book, The Gardener from Ochakov, a dark satire where a young man can time travel between 2010 and 1957 Ukraine, with the help of a vintage Soviet police uniform.Two new TV documentary series begin tonight, aiming to reveal what it is like to work in retail and sales at the moment. Channel 4's The Dealership shows Essex car salesmen in action, while BBC Three's Shoplife follows a group of young people who are employed at the Metrocentre in Gateshead. Tiffany Stevenson gives her verdict.With three Australian circus troupes taking to the stage at this year's Edinburgh Festival Fringe, and another currently entertaining audiences in London, Kirsty talks to the creative minds behind two of these shows - Wunderkammer and Limbo - to find out why Australian circus seems to be soaring.For Cultural Exchange, writer Jeffrey Archer chooses the painting Ec

With Kirsty Lang.The Heat is the latest gross-out comedy from Paul Feig, the director of Bridesmaids. It stars one of its alumni, Melissa McCarthy, as an unorthodox cop who has to team up with an officious, highly strung FBI agent, played by Sandra Bullock. Critic Jane Graham delivers her verdict on this odd couple comedy.Catherine O'Flynn won the Costa First Novel Award in 2008 with her book What Was Lost, set in and around her native Birmingham. Her new novel, Mr Lynch's Holiday, focuses on a decaying new development in Spain. Among the British ex-pats scratching a living there is Eamonn, who is taken by surprise when his father - a retired Birmingham bus driver - turns up out of the blue. Catherine O'Flynn reflects on her choice of locations and her research trips to a Birmingham bus garage.Milton Jones is a stand up comedian best known for his dead pan one liners, zany shirts and sticky-up hairdo. As he prepares to take his current touring show to the Edinburgh Festival, he talks to Kirsty about life on t

With John Wilson.Ryan Gosling and Danish director Nicolas Winding Refn (Drive, Pusher) team up again for the crime thriller Only God Forgives. Set in the Bangkok underworld, the film has divided critics with its use of violence and an unconventional narrative structure, and even Gosling has admitted the film could alienate audiences. Crime writer Dreda Say Mitchell gives her verdict.Violinist Nicola Benedetti nominates a favourite concerto for Cultural Exchange, in which leading creative minds share an artistic passion.Sculptor Antony Gormley pays tribute to fellow artist Walter De Maria, who has died at the age of 77. Walter De Maria's most renowned work is The Lightning Field, in which he placed 400 stainless steel poles in a vast grid in a remote area of New Mexico. Antony Gormley share his memories of De Maria, who became a reclusive figure, and was rarely photographed or interviewed - although he performed as a musician alongside Lou Reed and John Cale in New York in the 1960s.A new exhibition Mass Obser

With John Wilson.Tony Grisoni, writer of Fear and Loathing in Las Vegas and the Red Riding TV series, discusses his latest project: Southcliffe is a new four-part drama for Channel 4, about a random killer on the loose in a small English rural town.Architect Richard Rogers nominates a favourite public space for Cultural Exchange, in which leading creative minds share a cultural passion.As the Imperial War Museum London partially re-opens its doors during its major redevelopment, John takes a look at the two new art exhibitions on display. Architecture of War examines the impact of conflict on the landscape and environment, and 5000 Feet is the Best - Omer Fast's multi-layered film about drone warfare - launches IWM Contemporary.Artist and illustrator Ralph Steadman discusses his contribution to a festival about Surrealist artist Marcel Duchamp in Herne Bay, inspired by a trip Duchamp took to the Kentish coast in 1913. He wrote a postcard back to Paris declaring "I am not dead... I am in Herne Bay", and on his

With John Wilson.In 2010 Dawn Brancheau, a trainer at the Seaworld theme park, died after being dragged into the water by Tilikum, Seaworld's largest performing Orca. A new documentary, Blackfish, explores how Tilikum came to be in captivity and asks whether whales kept as performing animals will inevitably become aggressive. Philip Hoare, author of Leviathan Or The Whale, reviews.The vocal group Naturally 7 are about to perform at this year's BBC Proms. They demonstrate how they create the sounds of a variety of instruments using just their voices, and reveal how they build up a song, layer by layer. A big new library is the flagship project of Birmingham City Council's plans for the regeneration of the city. Ahead of the opening early in September, John takes a tour of the £188 million building, with project director Brian Gambles, and Birmingham-born author Jonathan Coe.Author Kamila Shamsie reveals her Cultural Exchange choice: the 1950 classic movie All About Eve, with Bette Davis as an aging Broadway st

With Mark Lawson.Kevin McNally has acted on stage opposite Jude Law and Kenneth Branagh, and has appeared in more than two dozen films, including all four Pirates of the Caribbean movies. He now stars in The Mill, a new four-part TV drama, which depicts events in rural-industrial England in 1833 and is based on the extensive archive of Quarry Bank Mill in Cheshire. He discusses the appeal of playing characters who are far from likeable, and reveals how he thinks it helped that he was a little tipsy when he auditioned for Pirates Of The Caribbean.The latest artwork to be commissioned for the Fourth Plinth in Trafalgar Square has been unveiled by London Mayor Boris Johnson. Hahn / Cock by the German artist Katharina Fritsch is a sculpture of a giant blue cockerel. Katharina Fritsch and Boris Johnson explain what the latest statue to occupy the plinth means to them.For Cultural Exchange, Monty Python's Terry Jones selects Under Milk Wood, the play for voices by Dylan Thomas, which was narrated by Richard Burton

With Mark Lawson.Steve Coogan returns as his best-known character, Norwich radio DJ Alan Partridge, in a new film Alpha Papa, which sees Partridge involved in an unusual hostage situation at a local radio station. Steve Coogan discusses the evolution of the character from the small to the big screen, the pressure from fans to reprise his 'hit' character, and how his fears of turning into Alan Partridge himself inspire his performances.For Cultural Exchange, crime writer Ruth Rendell discusses her choice of Handel's oratorio Solomon, based on the bible story and containing the sinfonia The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba.On the day that Arts Council England announces investment plans for 2015 to 2018, Peter Bazalgette, its chairman, talks to Mark about what these plans will involve - in the light of cuts to local authority budgets.Producer Claire Bartleet.

With John Wilson.Hugh Jackman returns to the role of Wolverine in his new film, embroiled in a conflict that forces him to confront his own demons. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh reviews The Wolverine.The late singer-songwriter Ian Dury is best known as the front man for Ian Dury and the Blockheads and for writing songs including Hit Me With Your Rhythm Stick. But before he became an entertainer, Dury trained at the Royal College of Art and had a career as an artist that lasted nearly a decade. As an exhibition of his work opens at the RCA, Dury's daughter Jemima and his old Kilburn and the Highroads band-mate Humphrey Ocean discuss his art and his legacy.Following today's announcement of the longlist for this year's Man Booker Prize for Fiction, Robert Macfarlane, chair of judges, joins John to discuss the 13 books and their authors. The shortlist will be announced on 10 September, and the winner - who will receive a £50,000 prize - will be announced on 15 October.For Cultural Exchange, the musician James Blake chooses

With Mark Lawson.Helena Bonham Carter and Dominic West star as the ultimate celebrity couple, Elizabeth Taylor and Richard Burton, in a new BBC Drama written by William Ivory. Focusing on the period when they appeared together on Broadway in Noel Coward's Private Lives, Burton and Taylor imagines the complex relationship between the ex-husband and wife. Linda Grant reviews.Writer Denise Mina has received the Theakstons Old Peculier crime novel award, for the second year running. Her winning novel, For Gods and Beasts, weaves together three stories of Glasgow's criminal underworld. She explains why she had to re-write it over a weekend and reveals the flaws in her books.Director Noah Baumbach discusses Frances Ha, his acclaimed black and white drama about the misadventures of a twentysomething dancer, played by co-writer Greta Gerwig. He also reveals what his parents thought of his break-through film, The Squid And The Whale, which was inspired by the fall-out from their divorceFor Cultural Exchange, dramatis

With John Wilson.Wadjda is the first film from Saudi Arabia to be directed by a woman, Haifaa Al Mansour. It's the story of an 11-year-old girl who enters a Koran recitation competition in order to buy a bike with the winnings, even though women are discouraged from cycling and are banned from driving cars. Critic Shahidha Bari delivers her verdict.American writer Philipp Meyer's ambitious new novel, The Son, maps the legacy of violence in the western United States. When a young man is taken captive by the Comanches, he learns to adapt to their way of life before their tribe is destroyed by disease, starvation and an overwhelming number of armed, white settlers. Philipp Meyer discusses the breadth of scope - and the five years it took to research and write - of his epic 560-page novel.Starring trumpet soloist Alison Balsom, Gabriel opens at Shakespeare's Globe this evening. The play, set during the Glorious Revolution, showcases the music of Purcell through a combination of drama, instrumentals and songs. Joh

With John Wilson.Susannah Clapp reviews the new Punchdrunk production The Drowned Man, A Hollywood Fable. The company is known for not using stages or even seats, and their groundbreaking immersive style - in previous shows like Sleep No More - has had a huge influence in contemporary theatre.As an Eduardo Paolozzi retrospective opens in Chichester, John meets the artist's lifelong friend Sir Terence Conran. Conran, who has since had success in design, retail and restaurants, remembers helping Paolozzi put together some of his early sculptures.In Cultural Exchange, singer Laura Mvula chooses the song Four Women by Nina Simone. Released on the 1966 album Wild is the Wind, it tells the story of four different African-American women.The shortlist for the prestigious RIBA Stirling Prize was announced today. This year's list, in which housing features prominently, includes the regenerated Park Hill housing estate in Sheffield. Architect and Chair of the Judges Philip Gumuchdjian, and journalist Tom Dyckhoff discus

With Mark Lawson.Writer and poet Clive James discusses his ambitious version of Dante's 14th century epic poem The Divine Comedy. He reflects on the challenge and pleasure of translating the 14,233 lines which took him several years, while struggling with ill health which made him wonder whether he'd live to see it published.Directed by Joe Wright and starring Chiwetel Ejiofor, the UK premiere of A Season in the Congo by Aimé Césaire opens on stage this week. Set in the Congo during the country's first year of independence, the play charts the life of Patrice Lumumba from his campaigning against Belgian rule, to becoming Prime Minster, to his assassination. Novelist Justin Cartwright gives his verdict.Screenwriter Paula Milne offers her choice for Cultural Exchange - Five Easy Pieces, an influential 1970 film starring Jack Nicholson as a frustrated musician who drifts from job to job and embarks on a road trip to see his seriously ill father.Producer Jerome Weatherald.

With Mark Lawson.Christopher Guest, the writer best known for This Is Spinal Tap, makes his BBC debut with Family Tree, a TV comedy series about an ancestral quest starring Chris O'Dowd from Bridesmaids and The IT Crowd. Antonia Quirke discusses whether Guest has turned the laughs all the way up to 11.Josephine and I, written by and starring Cush Jumbo, is a one-woman show about the life of dancer, singer and actress Josephine Baker. Jumbo reflects on why she wanted to bring Baker's story to the stage.Easy Money is the latest slab of Nordic Noir to hit the big screen. It's an adaptation of Jens Lapidus' debut novel about a student who gets caught up in a drug heist. Jeff Park decides whether this noir should have seen the light of day.Artist Conrad Shawcross offers his choice for Cultural Exchange, in which leading creative minds nominate a favourite work. His selection is Monet's painting Water-Lilies, currently on show at Tate Modern. Producer Stephen Hughes.

With Mark Lawson.The World's End is a new comedy film from Simon Pegg, Nick Frost and Edgar Wright, completing a trilogy which began with Shaun of the Dead and continued with Hot Fuzz. Adam Smith reviews.Pulitzer Prize and Tony Award-winning dramatist Marsha Norman discusses how she adapted Alice Walker's novel The Color Purple as a musical for the stage. The show is about to receive its British premiere. Marsha Norman also reflects on how she teaches the art of writing for musicals.Badults is a new TV comedy which follows the exploits of three childhood friends who made a pact to live together when they grew up, but find themselves struggling to adapt to adult life. The show is written by and stars Ben Clark, Matthew Crosby and Tom Parry, also known as the comedy troupe Pappy's. They discuss their move from the live comedy circuit to the small screen.In tonight's Cultural Exchange, American writer David Sedaris chooses the TV programme Ru Paul's Drag Race.Producer Dymphna Flynn.