Front Row
by BBC Radio 4
Latest episode
Review: Palme D'or winning film Fjord and Jonathan Coe's novel…
Review: Palme D'or winning film Fjord and Jonathan Coe's novel…
About this podcast
Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music
Episodes
The newest 50 of 2,000 episodes
- Review: Palme D'or winning film Fjord and Jonathan Coe's novel Lessons in Harmony · 42 minTom Sutcliffe is joined by art historian Frances Spalding and journalist Tristram Fane Saunders to review: The Palme D'or winning film Fjord which stars Sebastian Stan and Renate…
- Honey, a new darkly comedic Cold War thriller from the makers of Killing Eve · 42 minDescribed as tender and flirty, slick and dangerous, BBC drama Honey is a new darkly comedic Cold War thriller from the makers of Killing Eve. Screenwriter and comedian Emma…
- Thriller writer Karin Slaughter on adapting her novel, The Good Daughter, for TV · 42 minBestselling US thriller writer Karin Slaughter talks to Tom Sutcliffe about adapting her novel The Good Daughter for the screen. Set and filmed in her native Georgia, the series…
- Winner of the 2026 Booker Prize announced live from the ceremony · 30 minSamira Ahmed presents live from Old Billingsgate in London, where the announcement of the winner of the Booker Prize 2026 is taking place. The novels on the shortlist are: The…
- Booker Prize 2026: All the Shortlisted Authors · 42 minThe six authors shortlisted for this year's Booker Prize discuss their novels ahead of tonight's ceremony, which is broadcast live on Radio 4 at 9.30pm in a special extra edition…
- Review Show: La Bola Negra and Keira Knightley in The Lives of Others · 42 minTom Sutcliffe is joined by reviewers Nancy Durrant and Tim Robey for this week's review. Keira Knightley stars in The Lives of Others, adapted for the stage and directed by…
- Artist Sam Taylor Johnson and Oscar winning film-maker Sian Heder · 43 minArtist Sam Taylor Johnson has photographed a wide range of actors, artists and musicians including Willem Dafoe, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Tracey Emin, Philip Seymour-Hoffman and…
- Musician Nitin Sawhney and writer Samantha Harvey's Orbiting Orbital collaboration · 42 minMusician Nitin Sawhney's latest composition has been inspired by Samantha Harvey's Booker prize-winning novel Orbital. Called Orbiting Orbital, it also includes original writing…
- Grandmaster Flash, one of the founding fathers of hip-hop, talks about his life in music. · 42 minGrandmaster Flash, one of the founding fathers of hip-hop, talks about his memoir, Birth of a Culture, and the music and events that shaped his life and his music. The Ramayana…
- Review Show: RSC's Middlemarch, Agatha Christie exhibition and Gentle Monster film · 42 minNina Raine has adapted George Eliot's Middlemarch for the RSC, into a 2 part, 6-hour long stage play. How does it measure up to the book and the much-loved TV adaptations? The…
- Reinventing fairy tales for the 21st century · 42 minActor Ashley Walters, who previously starred in the acclaimed series Adolescence and Top Boy, on his feature directorial debut Animol, a harrowing drama about youth crime and…
- John Malkovich and Sam Rockwell on Martin McDonagh's new film Wild Horse Nine · 42 minOscar winner Sam Rockwell and Oscar nominee John Malkovich join Tom to talk about their new film Wild Horse Nine from Banshees of Inisherin writer and director Martin McDonagh. A…
- Audrey Niffenegger on the sequel to her hugely successful novel The Time Traveller's Wife · 42 minBest-selling author of The Time Traveller’s Wife, Audrey Niffenegger talks about her much-anticipated sequel Life Out of Order, which returns to the story of the time travelling…
- Reviewing Fatherland, Possible Love and Martin Guerre · 43 minReviewers Alexander Larman and Bidisha consider two films: Fatherland, directed by Pawel Pawlikowski, starring Sandra Huller, it tells the story of novelist Thomas Mann's tour of…
- Director Sofia Coppola on Making Marie Antoinette · 42 minDirector Sofia Coppola on completing her mother Eleanor’s documentary about the making of Sofia’s feature Marie Antoinette, following her death. The film goes behind the scenes…
- Winne-the-Pooh at 100, and Renoir in Love review · 42 minAs A A Milne's Winnie-the-Pooh, one of the most loved bears in children's literature reaches 100, Jane Riordan, author of the new Pooh books, and Hollie Piff, EH Shepard…
- Taika Waititi on adapting Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun for the big screen · 42 minAcademy Award-winning director Taika Waititi on his screen adaptation of Kazuo Ishiguro's novel Klara and the Sun, in which 'artificial friends' have been created to provide…
- Review Show: Kristin Scott Thomas in Chekhov's play The Cherry Orchard · 42 minCritic David Benedict and journalist Muriel Zagha discuss Kristin Scott Thomas in Chekhov's The Cherry Orchard, adapted by award winning playwright Conor McPherson. They also…
- Comedian Leo Reich on his Channel 4 sitcom It Gets Worse · 42 minComedian Leo Reich, who has been named as one of the "best British talent" by The Times, and who has previously appeared in Lena Dunham's Netflix romcom Too Much, talks to us…
- Anne-Marie Duff, M John Harrison, Bayreuth 150th anniversary · 42 minBad Sisters actress Anne-Marie Duff talks to Samira about her latest role as Julie in Helen Edmundson’s play in Some Woman on stage at the National Theatre in London. In the next…
- Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant on Hay Fever · 42 minWe speak backstage with Christine Baranski and Richard E Grant on appearing in Noel Coward's Hay Fever in London's West End. Writer Douglas Stuart on John of John, nominated for…
- Review Show: The Social Reckoning, The 90s at Tate Britain and reaction to Nobel Prize winner Anne Carson · 42 minZoe Williams and Laurence Scott join Tom Sutcliffe to review: The Social Reckoning, Aaron's Sorkin's new film which revisits the world of Facebook and Mark Zuckerberg 16 years…
- Does the discovery of a 'talkie' made in 1926 change cinema history? · 42 minNews broke today of a discovery which may rewrite cinematic history. In 1926 Scottish playwright Graham Moffat's film - Till the Bells Ring - using pioneering audio technology…
- Johnny Marr on his new album · 42 minThe legendary Smiths guitarist Johnny Marr is back with his fifth solo album The Age of Everything, which he's described as the most cathartic album he's ever written. He joins…
- SNL, Paul Greengrass, The Bayeux Tapestry and Sarah Hall · 42 minTwo of the young stars of Saturday Night Live UK on bringing live satire back to television. Director Paul Greengrass (The Bourne Supremacy, Captain Philips, United 93) on how…
- Review Show: Tom Cruise in the film Digger · 43 minSusannah Clapp and Nick Hilton join Tom Sutcliffe to review Tom Cruise as a prosthetic laden billionaire oil tycoon in the film Digger, who is out to save humanity after causing…
- Actors David Harewood and Sir Simon Russell Beale · 42 minSherwood and Homeland star David Harewood talks to us about his lead role in Channel 4's new legal drama Pierre, which is co-written by John Donnelly and playwright Roy Wiliams…
- BBC National Short Story Award and Young Writers Award 2026 · 42 minTom Sutcliffe hosts the ceremony for BBC National Short Story Award and Young Writers Award 2026, in partnership with University of Cambridge, live from BBC Broadcasting House in…
- Es Devlin retrospective, Sebastian Faulks, Turner Prize, Apple Music Hall · 42 minThe multi-award winning stage designer and artist Es Devlin talks to Samira as a retrospective of her work opens at the Design Museum in London. Devlin has created sets for…
- Front Row at the Contains Strong Language festival · 42 minA special edition of Front Row from the BBC's poetry and performance festival - Contains Strong Language Since self-publishing a poetry pamphlet in 2020, Donna Ashworth has gone…
- Review Show: Exit Party by Emily St John Mandel, South Korean alien invasion thriller Hope and an adaptation of 1984. · 42 minIn this week's Review Show, our guest critics Hannah McGill and Fergus Morgan join Kirsty Wark to discuss three dystopian thrillers: Bestselling novelist Emily St John Mandel's…
- Comedian Russell Kane on playing an older Romeo · 43 minComedian Russell Kane tells us about playing an older Romeo in a new take on Shakespeare’s famous tragedy. Author Samantha Ellis gives her verdict on the new film adaptation of…
- Roger Taylor, drummer from the super band Queen, on his latest album · 42 minRoger Taylor has been a driving force behind Queen, one of the most successful bands in history. The songwriter, drummer and singer talks to Tom Sutcliffe about his 7th solo…
- Review Show: Rose Tremain’s The Housekeeper, inspired by Daphne du Maurier’s Rebecca · 42 minRobbie Collin and Sarah Crompton join Samira Ahmed to review: Rose Tremain’s new book, The Housekeeper, which imagines how Daphne du Maurier’s classic novel, Rebecca, came to be…
- The Proclaimers on their new album, You May Offend · 42 minTwin brothers Craig and Charlie Reid emerged almost 40 years ago with their debut album This Is The Story and Top 3 single ‘Letter from America’. The Proclaimers join Kirsty Wark…
- Hermione Lee on her biography of the notoriously private author Anita Brookner · 42 minBiographer Hermione Lee talks to Tom about her new book Anita Brookner: Art and Life, which explores the career of the famously private art historian and author of 24 novels…
- The Beatles' early days, Juliette Binoche's directorial debut, Jack Thorne · 42 minSamira Ahmed talks to Hunter Davies about his new book Get Back: The Boys Who Became the Beatles, Juliette Binoche about her directorial debut on In-I in Motion, Jack Thorne on…
- Review Show: Bayeux Tapestry at the British Museum · 43 minViv Groskop and Amanda Vickery join Tom Sutcliffe to review: The Bayeux Tapestry as it goes on display to the public in Britain for the first time since its creation almost a…
- Oasis documentary Don’t Look Back in Anger · 42 minMusic critic Neil McCormick shares his verdict on the Oasis documentary, Don’t Look Back in Anger about Noel & Liam Gallagher's reunion tour. Writer Beth Steel talks about her…
- Call My Agent's writer and creator Fanny Herrero on bringing the French sitcom to the big screen · 42 minFanny Herrero, writer and creator of the French sitcom Call My Agent, joins Tom Sufcliffe to talk about how her show about the antics of the cut-throat Paris talent agency ASK…
- Helen of Troy - a new play by Ava Pickett · 43 minAva Pickett discusses her new play Bloodsport: After Helen of Troy at Theatre Royal Stratford East, and the huge success 1536, her Olivier Award-winning play about the Tudors…
- Norman Day special · 42 minTom Sutcliffe and guests explore the architecture and culture of Norman Britain as part of a special day of programmes on Radio 4 marking the return of the Bayeux Tapestry. From…
- Review: Pedro Almodóvar's new film Bitter Christmas · 42 minMark Ravenhill and Leila Latif join Tom Sutcliffe to review: Spanish director Pedro Almodóvar's new film Bitter Christmas, a tragi comedy told across different time frames, and…
- YouTube's Pedro Pina on the future of television, and celebrating Tim Curry · 42 minAhead of her sixth performance at the BBC Proms the mezzo soprano star Joyce DiDonato talks to Kirsty about the explosive potential of her voice. VP Head of YouTube EMEA - Pedro…
- Remembering Dolly Parton, Meg Mason and Notting Hill Carnival at 60 · 42 minSamira Ahmed spoke to Dolly Parton in 2023. As her death is announced Front Row pays tribute to the star of country music who sold more than 100 million records and wrote over…
- Review Show: Rachel Cusk's new novel and the return of the Looney Tunes · 42 minLarushka Ivan-Zadeh and William Lee Adams join Tom Sutcliffe to review: The Life of M - the new novel from Rachel Cusk. The book centres on a writer’s attempt to chronicle the…
- From the Edinburgh Festivals: Ann Droid and Motherland star Paul Ready; founder of Wikipedia Jimmy Wales; comedian Rosie Holt · 42 minAnn Droid and Motherland star Paul Ready on his debut one man show Little Animals, a powerful piece of writing on climate, consumerism and the anxieties of being a Dad in today's…
- The Light opens in Durham, and Iain Stirling on the art of sandscastles · 42 minAs contemporary art venue, The Light, prepares to open in Durham, its artistic director Tony Guillan, and the art critic Louisa Buck, discuss the new building and its opening…
- Joe Lycett on his first solo exhibition, Everything Must Go · 42 minThe comedian Joe Lycett has long dabbled in art, but it's a serious business now as his first ever solo exhibition ‘Everything Must Go’ has just opened at the Birmingham Museum…
- Review Show: Tony, film about the early life of chef Anthony Bourdain · 43 minAcademic and critic Maria Delgado and writer and producer Jake Cunningham join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss the film Tony, a film about the early career of food writer Anthony…
