Front Row

Actress June Squibb on her lead role in Scarlett Johansson's debut feature Eleanor the Great, in which a woman in her 90s moves back from Florida to Manhattan and forms a friendship with a young journalism student - the film explores themes of grief, the Holocaust, truth and lies. Jenny Colgan pays tribute to her fellow bestselling novelist Sophie Kinsella, whose death was announced today. From the daring heist on the Louvre in Paris in October to the theft of Matisse artworks from Brazil's second-largest library just this week, we discuss 2025's spate of museum heists with investigative journalist Riah Pryor and with Sunna Altnoder of UNESCO, who have recently opened a Virtual Museum of Stolen Cultural Objects.Artist Michael Fullerton discusses the symbolism in his portraits of asylum seekers, painted during his time working in the kitchen of a hotel in Carlisle, and which are on display at Edinburgh's City Art Centre until March.Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

Tonight, the winner of the 2025 Turner Prize will be announced in Bradford, this year’s City of Culture. Joining Nick to discuss the runners and riders is arts journalist at the Yorkshire Post, Yvette Huddleston. The death of the photographer Martin Parr was announced over the weekend. His reputation was established with his colourful1980s seaside holiday pictures. To remember his life and legacy, we hear from photographer Stephen McCoy who currently has a show at the Martin Parr Foundation in Bristol.Egyptian Queen Nefertiti is rumoured to have been one of the most desirable women in the ancient world but could things turn ugly over the location of the bust of Nefertiti? With the opening of the Grand Egyptian Museum in Giza, there have been renewed calls for it to be returned to Egypt from the Berlin’s Neues Museum where it’s currently on display. Heba Abd el Gawad, Senior Curator of Anthropology at London’s Horniman Museum, and Professor Sebastian Conrad, who has written extensively on Nefertiti, discuss the issues. Punchdrunk is a theatre company that has been pushing at the boundaries of theatre for over two decades. It pioneered fully immersive experiences, creating worlds where audiences become active participants rather than passive spectators. Their latest show is Lander 23, a live-action video game, set on a distant planet where a previous crew has mysteriously vanished. Nick paid a visit to the company’s home in Woolwich, London. Arts journalist Yvette Huddleston reflects on Bradford’s year in the spotlight. Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

Kate Winslet speaks to Samira Ahmed about her directorial debut, Goodbye June. With a screenplay written by her son Joe Anders, the film portrays complex family dynamics colliding with the surreal realities of palliative care.With talks around a possible peace deal in Ukraine ongoing, we discuss whether the country has effectively used arts and culture to further the national cause. We hear from conductor and founder of the Ukrainian Freedom Orchestra Keri-Lynn Wilson, and visual artist Pavlo Makov.Entertainment journalist Al Horner joins from Los Angeles to talk about the latest twist in the on-going battle between Netflix and Paramount to takeover the famed film studio Warner Bros. He also walks us through the winners and snubs from today's Golden Globe nominations.Filmmaker Noah Baumbach, best known for co-writing the blockbuster Barbie movie with his wife Greta Gerwig, talks about his new film Jay Kelly, which stars George Clooney as one of Hollywood's most famous stars who is struggling to figure out who loves him when the cameras stop rolling. And we remember the life and career of the acclaimed architect Frank Gehry.

Arifa Akbar, The Guardian's drama critic, dives into the enchanting world of Paddington The Musical, exploring its storytelling, character development, and political themes about immigration. She praises the bear's on-stage performance while Nick Hilton, television critic for The Independent, shares insights on Jafar Panahi's latest film, It Was Just An Accident, discussing its darkly comic tones and moral ambiguity. The duo also delves into Russell Tovey's role as an everyman ambassador in the Doctor Who spinoff, unpacking its eco-centric narrative and the Sea Devils' return.

John Rutter on his first purely orchestral album in almost 60 years, which also marks the composer and conductor's 80th birthday. Novelist Sean Lusk on the extraordinary - and scandalous - life of 18th-century aristocrat Mary Wortley Montagu, which is told in A Woman of Opinion, which won Fiction of the Year at last month's Saltire Awards. Recently, a number of actors have said they would prefer not to have to work with intimacy coordinators on set. We raise their concerns with Ita O'Brien, an intimacy coordinator who also trains others for the role, and Creative Director of Synchronicity Films, Claire Mundell. Also, as work gets underway at Edinburgh's first new concert hall in 100 years, we hear why it's needed, and about the challenges of building in a historic city centre site. Presenter: Kirsty Wark Producer: Mark Crossan

A Christmas Carol by Charles Dickens has been transformed into a piece of hip hop dance at London’s Sadler's Wells East, and a Bollywood infused song and dance extravaganza for the big screen. We hear from the creatives behind the new versions, Bend it Like Beckham director Gurinder Chadha and choreographer Dannielle Rhimes Lecointe. Beyond the Visual is the first of its kind in the UK - an exhibition co-curated by visually impaired artists. Held at the Henry Moore Institute in Leeds, the exhibition encourages visitors to touch the displays, listen to audio descriptions, and does much to make sure it truly is art for all, and all the senses. Joining Nick in the studio are artist and co-curator of the exhibition, Dr. Aaron McPeake and Dr. Clare O’Dowd the research curator at the Henry Moore Institute.A Little Trickerie by Rosanna Pike has been announced as the winner of the Bollinger Everyman Wodehouse Prize for Comic Fiction. The 2005 winner of the prize, A Short History of Tractors in Ukraniain, by the late author Marina Lewycka was declared the "winner of winners" over the last twenty five years of the prize. To investigate what makes a funny novel, Nick is joined by critic and Wodehouse fan Tristram Fane Saunders and three-time Wodehouse Prize nominee Lissa Evans.Presenter: Nick Ahad Producer: Ekene Akalawu

A celebration of the life and work of one of Britain’s greatest modern playwrights, Sir Tom Stoppard, who died at the weekend. He was 88. We hear from theatre critic Michael Billington, actress Emma Fielding, director Patrick Marber, biographer Hermione Lee, and literary critic Tristram Fane Saunders.

Nancy Durrant and Michael Donkor join Tom Sutcliffe to review Richard Linklater’s Broadway break up film Blue Moon, starring Ethan Hawke as Lorenz Hart, whose former writing partner Richard Rodgers had just made Oklahoma with Oscar Hammerstein. They also discuss Tate Britain’s exhibition about how the lives of Turner and Constable were entwined. And they talk about Pillion, a surprising award-winning romantic drama starring Harry Melling and Alexander Skarsgård, adapted from Adam Mars-Jones’ novel Box Hill.Plus entertainment journalist Al Horner on potential buyers for the Warner Discovery entertainment conglomerate, and why the sale is significant.Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe Producer: Claire Bartleet

Dan Houser, former lead writer and co-founder of Rockstar Games, dives into his debut novel A Better Paradise, exploring the chaotic aftermath of a rogue video game. Katie Mitchell shares her frustrations, revealing why she stepped back from opera due to pervasive sexism in the industry. Neal Ambrose-Smith discusses his mother, Jean Quick-to-See Smith's, impactful artwork linking Native American themes with environmental urgency and the emotional collaboration in her final pieces. Together, they offer a rich tapestry of creativity and critique.

Sydney Sweeney, an American actress celebrated for her roles, shares insights on portraying boxer Christy Martin in her upcoming biopic. She discusses her intense preparation, including physical transformations and emotional challenges in depicting sensitive themes. Joining her, film expert Adrian Wootton explores Pier Paolo Pasolini's radical film legacy, particularly Salo, while author Olivia Laing dives into its haunting context and impact. Together, they unravel the complexities of representation in film and the lasting significance of Pasolini's work.