Front Row: Archive 2012

With John Wilson.Ballerina Darcey Bussell reflects on her career, in the light of a new photographic book chronicling her remarkable time with the Royal Ballet. She also looks ahead to her new role as a judge on Strictly Come Dancing.Bob Dylan's new album Tempest is released next week. It is the singer's 35th studio album in 50 years of recording, and features three tracks of over seven minutes, with the title track about the sinking of the Titanic coming in at almost a quarter of an hour. The New Statesman's music critic Kate Mossman reviews.BBC Economics Editor Stephanie Flanders reviews The Queen of Versailles, a new documentary that explores the financial crash in America through the riches to rags tale of an incredibly wealthy couple, who build their dream home to resemble the French palace.As the Bristol Old Vic theatre throws open its doors following 18 months of refurbishment, artistic director Tom Morris takes John on a tour of Britain's oldest continually-working theatre, revealing some Georgian sta

With Mark Lawson. As Donny Osmond prepares for a series of British concerts with his sister Marie, the 1970s teen star-turned middle-aged grandfather looks back over his career, including his adolescent years, sharing a stage with the Jackson Five, and his parents' role in the Osmonds phenomenon. Cecil Beaton was one of Britain's most celebrated photographers and designers, best known for documenting royalty and celebrity, but a new exhibition at the Imperial War Museum in London explores a lesser-known side of his work. Cecil Beaton: Theatre of War follows Beaton on his travels during the Second World War as he explored the impact of war on people and places. Writer A N Wilson reviews.A new series of the long-running US TV soap Dallas returns tonight. Viewers last saw the Ewing family two decades ago, and now everyone is gathering at Southfork Ranch where old family rivalries are about to erupt. TV critic Chris Dunkley considers how the new model compares with the old, and Dallas rookie Larushka Ivan-Zadeh g

With Mark Lawson.The Booker Prize-winning writer Howard Jacobson has just published Zoo Time, the tale of an author who fears the novel is dying. He explains where his fictional hero ends and he begins.Fresh from the success of his portrayal of Marine Sergeant Nicholas Brody in the US TV series Homeland, British actor Damian Lewis's latest role is in Nick Love's new film version of The Sweeney, based on the TV series. Lewis plays Frank Haskins, the office boss of the notoriously violent and rule-breaking unit who 'act like criminals to catch criminals'. Damian Lewis discusses The Sweeney and his 'uniform' roles - Homeland and Band of Brothers.Scripted by rock star Nick Cave, Lawless is a new film set in Prohibition-era America and tells the story of a band of brothers who produce moonshine under their floorboards and go toe-to-toe with a new law enforcer in an increasingly violent turf war. Sarah Churchwell gives her verdict.Producer Stephen Hughes.

With Mark LawsonHermione Norris, who played Ros Myers in the BBC TV spy series Spooks, returns to our screens tonight in A Mother's Son, a two-part ITV drama about a mother who suspects her son might have committed a murder. The actress discusses the challenge of the role and looks back over her award-winning television career which has included the series Cold Feet, and Kingdom, alongside Stephen Fry.Keira Knightley and Jude Law star in a new film version of Anna Karenina, directed by Joe Wright with a screenplay by Tom Stoppard. Writer and broadcaster Viv Groskop reviews.Henning Mankell is best known in the UK for his Wallander series of crime novels, but the crime genre represents only a small part of his output. His latest novel explores the secretive world of Sweden's immigrant community, and the impact it has on Swedish society. He explained why he felt this story needed to be told.Today the world's largest human form sculpture is unveiled. A quarter of a mile long, Northumberlandia is a landform sculpt

With John Wilson, including an interview with singer Alfie Boe, as he publishes an autobiography My Story, about his rise from car mechanic in Blackpool to international opera, music and recording star. ITV1's new murder mystery drama, The Bletchley Circle, stars Anna Maxwell Martin and Rachael Stirling. Set in 1951, the series follows four highly intelligent women who were code-breakers at Bletchley Park during WWII. Having returned to civilian life, the four women reunite to use the skills they acquired during the war to crack a murder case. Natalie Haynes reviews.As Cameron Carpenter prepares for two afternoon Proms taking place this weekend, John met the flamboyant and unconventional organist while he rehearsed late into the night on the Royal Albert Hall's Grand Organ. Subjects up for discussion included Cameron's special organ shoes, why size doesn't matter, and how the launch of his digital organ looks set to rock the organ world. And film critic Jason Solomons reports from the Venice Film Festival, wh

With John Wilson. Singer and songwriter Bobby Womack is one of soul music's great survivors. He reflects on a career which spans more than half a century, in which he's confronted illness, addiction and controversy. He discusses his return to the studio for the first time in almost a decade, at the invitation of Damon Albarn, and Albarn himself looks back at the dramatic conclusion to their first recording session for a Gorillaz album. Bobby Womack also recalls his less-than-positive first reaction to the news that The Rolling Stones had recorded his song It's All Over Now - although he readily admits that his views changed when he received the first of many large royalty cheques. And music biographer Peter Guralnick charts how singer and entrepreneur Sam Cooke played a key role in Womack's early career: Bobby Womack remembers Cooke's ready advice, which included always to own a good ring and a good watch - valuables which could be pawned if a concert promoter failed to pay up. Producer John Goudie.

Mark Lawson chairs a debate on whether e-books and digital distribution represent a terminal threat or a new chance for authors, traditional publishers, agents and bookshops, in a session recorded at the Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate. Contributors include authors Steve Mosby and Stephen Leather, literary agent Philip Patterson, Ursula Mackenzie, Chair of Publishers Association, and independent bookseller Patrick Neil. Producer Ekene Akalawu.

With Mark Lawson.Sheridan Smith takes the lead role in the new ITV1 drama series Mrs Biggs, which focuses on the story of Charmian, the wife of notorious train robber Ronnie Biggs. It follows her as she falls in love with Ronnie, discovers his role in the Great Train Robbery, and then secretly emigrates to Australia with him. Sarah Crompton reviews.The American author Joyce Carol Oates discusses her prolific writing career, and how her memoir about becoming a widow brought new readers with different reactions to her work. She also reflects on America's great post-war writers. Toby Jones (Frost/Nixon, Harry Potter, The Hunger Games) stars in the film Berberian Sound Studio, directed by Peter Strickland. Jones plays a mild-mannered sound effects specialist, whose work on a 1970s Italian horror film finds him stuck in a small room with only the grisly and sinister sounds for company. Critic Mark Eccleston gives his verdict. William Letford discusses his debut poetry collection Bevel, and how his work as a roofer

In a special edition recorded at the Radio 1 Academy in Hackney, Mark Lawson talks to Adrian Lester, star of the BBC TV drama Hustle, who also answers questions from an audience of young actors. Adrian Lester reflects on his career so far, which includes Rosalind in an all-male production of As You Like It, along with leading roles in musicals, television and film. He also offers advice to young people hoping to follow in his footsteps. Their questions cover topics such as how to make a living as an actor, the experience of going to drama school, and what you can learn from sharing a stage with Hollywood stars. Producer Claire Bartleet.

Mark Lawson reports from the annual Crime Writing Festival in Harrogate, with guests including Harlan Coben, Ann Cleeves and John Connolly. Producer Ekene Akalawu.

With John Wilson. Organist Booker T Jones, leader of Booker T and the M Gs, remembers the day he created the classic tune Green Onions, and discusses the mystery surrounding the death of his drummer.Junot Diaz won the Pulitzer Prize for Fiction with his first novel, The Brief Wondrous Life of Oscar Wao. His new book, This is How You Lose Her, is a collection of short stories around the theme of infidelity. He explains why despite many similarities between his own life and that of his characters, his books may not be as autobiographical as they seem.AA Milne, JM Barrie and Arthur Conan Doyle were among the writers who played in the Authors cricket team, a group of enthusiasts who last took to the crease in 1912. 100 years on, the team is being revived and includes Tom Holland, Nicholas Hogg and Dan Stevens. John reports on their match against actors' team The Gaieties.Charlie Brooker's new spoof TV crime drama stars John Hannah as DCI Jack Cloth: A Touch of Cloth parodies the last decade of British police proc

Mark Lawson interviews Ian McEwan, as he publishes a new novel Sweet Tooth, in an edition recorded before an audience at the Edinburgh Festival. Ian McEwan reveals the inspiration for Sweet Tooth, which is set in the early 1970s, and brings together the worlds of British espionage and literary ambition. He also discusses how he has plagiarised himself, considers the role his family background has played in his life and work, and reflects on whether he would ever write a memoir. Producer Ella-mai Robey.

With John Wilson.Best known for gross-out comedies There's Something About Mary and Dumb And Dumber, the Farrelly Brothers pay homage to the tradition of American slapstick with their take on The Three Stooges. Adam Smith delivers his verdict.Writer James Meek discusses his latest novel The Heart Broke In, a sweeping family saga set in the digital age.With a string quartet playing in four helicopters, musicians suspended in the air and a dancing camel, Karlheinz Stockhausen's opera Mittwoch has long been considered almost unstageable. John reports from Birmingham on the eve of the work's world premiere. Cork Street in London has long been famous for its art galleries. Many notable 20th century artists first came to wider attention there, but now a number of galleries face an uncertain future in the wake of redevelopment plans. The Mayor Gallery, opened in 1925, was the first to open, and its current owner James Mayor explains how Cork Street's role as a centre for visual art is threatened. Producer Ellie Bury

With Mark Lawson. Dramatist Tom Stoppard discusses his TV adaptation of Ford Madox Ford's Parade's End, starring Benedict Cumberbatch and Rebecca Hall, and his screenplay for Anna Karenina, with Keira Knightley in the title role. The Watch, the latest vehicle for Ben Stiller, is a comedy about a group of neighbours who have defend the earth from alien invasion. Larushka Ivan-Zadeh reveals whether it's out of this world.Director Tony Scott's credits include Top Gun, True Romance and Enemy of the State. Following the news of his death at the age of 68, Front Row pays tribute with another chance to hear an interview from 2009, in which Tony Scott recalled his approach to shooting action, his love of painting and his relationship with his older brother Ridley. Cellist Natalie Clein is the latest artist to spend time in A Room for London, a boat-like structure on the roof of the Hayward Gallery, overlooking the Thames in the centre of London. As she prepares to perform a recital to be streamed live online, she tal

With Kirsty Lang.Philippa Gregory discusses her latest novel on the Plantagenets. The Kingmaker's Daughter focuses on Anne Neville, daughter of 15th century power magnate the Earl Of Warwick. As a girl, Anne is used as a pawn in her father's political battles. After his death she chooses to marry the handsome and ambitious Duke of Gloucester, the future King Richard III. Rupert Penry-Jones and Shaun Evans star in The Last Weekend, a TV adaptation of Blake Morrison's novel about male jealousy. Two couples spend the weekend in a remote holiday cottage, and the tension mounts as the men return to a 20 year old bet, with horrifying consequences. Rachel Cooke reviews.Jorge Amado, one of Brazil's most successful and prolific novelists, was born in August 1912, and enjoyed a writing career spanning more than 60 years. Kirsty explores Amado's work with Louis de Bernieres, whose Latin American trilogy predated the success of Captain Corelli's Mandolin, JP Cuenca, who recently featured on Granta's list of the best youn

With Mark Lawson.Writer Jeanette Winterson discusses her new novella, The Daylight Gate, which is based on real characters from the notorious Pendle witch trials from 1612. The story shows how politics, religion, magic and superstition were gruesomely intertwined following the Gunpowder Plot against James I - especially in Jeanette Winterson's home county of Lancashire.Danish TV drama The Killing was an international hit - as was the jumper worn by its main character. Its director Birger Larsen is now making his UK debut with Murder, a crime drama set in Nottingham starring Stephen Dillane. Larsen and the co-creator of Murder, Robert Jones, talk about the series - and there's a revelation about that famous knitwear.As the US presidential election grows nearer, musicians are entering the campaign. Both Ry Cooder's latest album Election Special, and new wave band Devo's new song Don't Roof Rack Me, Bro! (inspired by Mitt Romney's road trip with the family dog in a kennel strapped to the car roof) seem timed for

With Mark Lawson.The Edinburgh Fringe Festival has just reached the half-way mark, and this evening Front Row comes from the world's largest arts festival. Recorded in front of a live audience in the big blue tent, Mark Lawson will be providing at taste of this year's Fringe.Guests include the Scottish actor David Hayman, whose show Six and a Tanner is a solo performance of one man railing against his dead father; Australian beatboxer Tom Thum demonstrates his extraordinary vocal talents; the writer of a new play based on the story of Anders Breivik who killed 77 people in Norway last summer.discusses the background to his play The Economist.Virginia Ironside and Tiffany Stevenson have one subject in common for their shows - the ageing process - and they'll be reflecting on that from the perspective of different generations, and comic Paul Chowdhry from Channel 4's Stand Up for the Week discusses his new show What's Happening White People in which considers the state of modern BritainProducer Jerome Weatheral

With John Wilson. Canadian singer-songwriter Alanis Morissette reflects on her career so far, and her latest album, Havoc And Bright Lights.Michelle Williams, Seth Rogen and Sarah Silverman star in the film Take This Waltz, a story of eroticism and infidelity that plays out through a sweltering Toronto summer. The film is directed by Sarah Polley. Antonia Quirke reviews.The author of the music business satire Kill Your Friends, novelist John J Niven, reveals why he's written his first crime thriller, Cold HandsAmerican composer John Cage is celebrated for the way he challenges assumptions about what constitutes music. His work Branches uses cactuses as instruments. Ahead of a performance at the BBC Proms, cactus-player Robyn Schulkowsky brings cactuses to the studio, to demonstrate what Cage had in mind - and why. Producer Rebecca Nicholson.

With Mark Lawson. Actor Clive Owen discusses his latest role in Shadow Dancer, the new film from director James Marsh (Man on Wire, Project Nim). Set in 1990s Belfast, a member of the IRA (played by Gillian Anderson) turns informant in order to protect her son. Alice Cooper's School's Out went to number one in the UK pop charts 40 years ago this week. The American rock star reflects on his career, including encounters with Salvador Dali, George H W Bush, John Lennon and Johnny Depp.Created by JJ Abrams (Lost) and Jonathan Nolan (The Dark Knight Rises), Person of Interest is a TV crime drama in which a former CIA agent - played by Jim Caviezel - is recruited by a billionaire to prevent violent crimes in New York City. Rebecca Nicholson reviews.Producer Ella-mai Robey.

With Kirsty Lang. Violinist Nicola Benedetti discusses the importance of music education and why being a classical musican is not unlike being an Olympic athlete.As the musician Beck announces that his new album will be released as sheet music only, Paul Gambaccini tells Kirsty how this is an echo of an earlier age in the music industry, when a song's popularity was judged by its sheet music salesRob Brydon and Eddie Marsan star in The Best of Men, a TV drama which tells the story of the birth of the Paralympic Games in 1948. Sports writer and former cricketer Ed Smith reviews the programme.Three of the best reviewed movies of the year have now come to DVD - Once Upon A Time In Anatolia, Kid With A Bike and Le Havre. Sandra Hebron delivers her verdict.In celebration of the Olympics, the BBC - in partnership with the Scottish Poetry Library in Edinburgh - has selected and recorded a poem representing every single country competing. Each is read by a native of that country who's made their home here in Britain.