Front Row

Authors Matt Cain and Eimear McBride join Tom Sutcliffe to review a new remake of Ang Lee's 1993 classic The Wedding Banquet. They also discuss Isabel Allende's new novel My Name is Emilia del Valle and the play The Brightening Air, on at the Old Vic theatre in London. And the National Gallery is having a re-hang, we speak to Head of the Curatorial Department, Christine Riding.

Acclaimed German journalist and film producer Sandra Maischberger talks about her new documentary about Leni Riefenstahl, which re-examines the life and career of the filmmaker and Nazi propagandist who was one of the most controversial women of the 20th century. Art historian and curator Sandy Nairne, a member of the Queen Elizabeth Memorial Committee, and journalist and broadcaster Nancy Durrant discuss digital designs by teams shortlisted to create the permanent memorial to Queen Elizabeth in St James's Park in London. And Ivor Novello Award-winning musician Martin Green talks about his debut musical for the National Theatre of Scotland, Keli, a story of creativity, music and community which marks 40 years since the Miners' Strikes. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

In the wake of President Trump's proposed film tariffs, Jake Kanter, International Investigations Editor at Deadline, discusses what the impact could be for the British film industry.Last week Moorcroft became the latest heritage ceramic company to close its doors in Stoke-On-Trent. Emma Bridgewater, founder of the eponymous ceramics company, and Alasdair Brooks from Re-Form Heritage, discuss the decline of pottery in The Potteries.A new genre-bending production of Hamlet created in collaboration with Thom Yorke from Radiohead has just opened at Factory International in Manchester. Co-directors Christine Jones and Steven Hoggett discuss their vision for Hamlet Hail to the Thief. When it opened in 2000, The Lowry in Salford was one of the many beneficiaries of cultural infrastructure funding from the Millennium Commission. Twenty five years on, its CEO, Julia Fawcett, joins Front Row to discuss the significance of this national funding programme.David Hockney and Vincent van Gogh have had the immersive art treatment. Now the National Portrait Gallery is using this approach for its collection in a new exhibition, Stories Brought To Life, that has just opened in MediaCity, Salford Quays. Art critic Laura Robertson gives her thoughts.Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

To mark the 80th anniversary this week, we explore British culture around VE Day in 1945, reflecting on the music, books, films and theatre that defined the moment and the complex emotional landscape that followed the war’s end. Songwriter and pianist Kate Garner joins us at the piano.Guests: Michael Billington, theatre critic; Ian Christie, film historian; Kevin Le Gendre, music journalist and broadcaster; Lara Feigel, Professor of Modern Literature, King's College London; Kate Garner, singer and songwriterPresenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Simon Richardson

US director Ryan Coogler on his supernatural horror film, Sinners. Anne Sebba discusses her new book, The Women's Orchestra of Auschwitz, about the orchestra formed in 1943 among the female prisoners at the Auschwitz-Birkenau concentration camp. And as a new report looking at so-called book banning in the United States is published, we talked to author Ellen Hopkins, American Libraries Association President Cindy Hohl and Neal McCluskey Director of libertarian thinktank, The Cato Institute's Center for Educational Freedom. Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Simon Richardson

Critic Kate Maltby and Beatles author Ian Leslie join Tom Sutcliffe to discuss two documentaries about John Lennon remaking his life in New York - Borrowed Time: Lennon's Last Decade and One to One: John & Yoko. They also discuss Tina Fey’s new series The Four Seasons, based on the 1981 film of the same name, which explores the relationships of three longstanding couples who holiday together. And we'll be reviewing a new musical version of The Great Gatsby, fresh in from Broadway. Plus writer Louise Dean, the founder of The Novelry, a creative writing school, talks about her organisation's new literary writing competition.Producer: Claire Bartleet Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe

Join Jeff Pope, a renowned British screenwriter behind the new series Suspect: The Shooting of Jean Charles de Menezes, as he delves into the tragic story of an innocent man killed by police in 2005. Alongside Lucy Hughes-Hallett, historian and biographer, the conversation shifts to the complex legacy of James VI & I, touching on his relationships and political strategies. They also explore the captivating narrative of Geraldine Flowers, whose love letters inspire a poignant performance art film, weaving together themes of love, loss, and legacy.

In 1975, at the height of their fame, British band Slade made a feature film, Slade in Flame. The film was a critical and commercial failure at the time, but has built up a cult following over the years. Now it's being re-released in cinemas and on DVD. Frontman Noddy Holder and film director Richard Loncraine spoke to Samira Ahmed in studio.With a new English translation of Simone de Beauvoir's novel The Image of Her and a stage adaptation of her semi-autobiographical The Inseperables, Lauren Elkin and Grace Joy Howarth discuss the enduring legacy of the French feminist icon.Plus Irish actor Stephen Rae talks about his career working with Samuel Beckett, his hit film The Crying Game, and his current production of Krapp’s Last Tape

Mark Rosenblatt on Giant, his Olivier award-winning play starring John Lithgow as Roald Dahl.As Universal Studios announce plans for a major new theme park in Bedfordshire, what does this mean for the UK entertainment industry? Samira is joined by entertainment journalist Ella Baskerville and Gareth Smy from Framestore to discuss its signficance and the kinds of rides it's likely to contain. German director Natja Brunckhorst on her comedy film Two to One, about an East German heist set in the days leading up to German Reunification, starring Sandra Huller. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Oliver Jones

Journalist Siân Pattenden & critic Stephanie Merritt join Tom to discuss Self Esteem's third album A Complicated Woman, which features collaborations with Nadine Shah and Moonchild Sanelly. Ahead of the release, Self Esteem AKA Rebecca Lucy Taylor showcased the album by staging a five-night theatrical presentation at London's Duke of York theatre. Tom and guests also talk about the Belgian film Julie Keeps Quiet, where a star player at a top tennis school deals with the aftermath of her coach being suspended. And they review the RSC's Stratford-upon-Avon contemporary production of Much Ado about Nothing which is set in the world of elite football. Plus, presenter Tom Service talks about the line up for the 2025 BBC Proms.Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Claire Bartleet