Arts and Ideas

Victorian women cast a long shadow over our imaginations But do we do enough to differentiate between the fictional characters and the real women? What lies beneath our perceptions of either? Matthew Sweet embarks on an exploration of the Victorian woman's psyche with the writers, Kate Summerscale and Sarah Ruhl and the historians, Kate Williams and Lynda Nead.

In a special edition from the Scottish National Portrait Gallery, Philip Dodd is joined by writer Ian Rankin, artist Alison Watt whose self portrait now hangs at the gallery, the poet and critic Robert Crawford, and John Leighton Director General of the National Galleries of Scotland to examine the nature of portraiture and the cultural tensions created when capturing a likeness in figurative and abstract painting, poetry and literature.

Philip Dodd presents a Landmark edition devoted to Shakespeare's The Tempest, a drama reimagined by artists from Purcell to Derek Jarman via TS Eliot, Derek Walcott and Thomas Adès. In the studio to discuss this strange and compelling play are the writer and director Jonathan Miller who first directed the Tempest in 1970 and again in 1988, David Troughton, the actor who played Caliban in Sam Mendes 1993 production, the Shakespeare scholar Helen Hackett, composer and director Jeremy Sams who created a version of The Tempest story, The Enchanted Island, for the Metropolitan Opera and the writer Kamila Shamsie.

Rana Mitter presents with a review of the new Bauhaus exhibition at the Barbican and a discussion asking what it means to be Posh. Plus a new book on Darwin’s predecessors and a new exhibition in Cambridge on tombs from the Han China era.

In this edition of Night Waves with Anne McElvoy, cardiac surgeon Francis Wells takes a look at a new exhibition of the work of Leonardo da Vinci. Ruchir Sharma, investment banker for Morgan Stanley together with Robert Guest, Washington Correspondent for The Economist, investigate what global and political forces are shaping emerging markets. Award-winning Bola Agbaje returns to the Royal Court Theatre, London with her new play Belong and discusses her work. And Jules Evans explains why we should be suspicious of attempts to measure our happiness levels, and put our faith in ancient philosophy instead.

Matthew Sweet presents a review of The English National Opera's The Flying Dutchman. He also traces the beginnings and history of Universal Motion Picture Manufacturing Company with Carla Laemmle,the founder’s niece and also asks if the stigma of being gay is melting away in secondary schools?

Philip Dodd talks to the writer Jonah Lehrer whose new book sets out to unravel creativity and understand the imagination. Thirty years ago the film Koyaanisqatsi was released and Jon Adams, a Radio 3 New Generation Thinker, argues that it's lasting legacy is the effect it has had on the advertising industry. Philip and guests also take a look at the World Shakespeare Festival, in particular the Globe Theatre which is staging all of Shakespeare's 37 plays in 37 different languages. And, as the Science Museum puts on display a Ripley Scroll recently discovered in its archives Philip explores the resurgence of alchemy's reputation with the historians Jennifer Rampling and Peter Forshaw.

For Night Waves Samira Ahmed will be considering the legacy of that most venerable British institution - The Rolling Stones. Samira will also be talking to Harry Shearer, who's latest project has raised the spirit of Richard Nixon from his political grave to walk again as the star of a television drama. Something just as dramatic but not as funny is revealed in Ferdinand Mount's latest book - The New Few and to round things off Briony Hanson will assess Albert Nobbs, the film for which Glenn Close received an Oscar nomination for playing the part of a man.

Matthew Sweet talks to David Hare. His new play South Downs is paired with a new staging of Terence Rattigan's The Browning Version and these two one-act plays look at the emotional journey of both pupils and teachers at the beginnings and end of their lives. And do we really want to live forever? According to a new book much of all human endeavour is about our desire to be immortal. Also, Jack Zipes, author of The Irresistible Fairy Tale examines why fairy tales are uniquely capable of getting under the skin of culture and staying there.And there's a review of The Bridge the latest scandi-crime drama to hit the small screen.

We review the latest exhibition of a modern Frankenstein – one of the descriptions used for Ron Mueck, a hyper realist sculptor, who evokes both admiration and contempt. Also in the programme Award winning poet and first National Laureate of Wales, Gwyneth Lewis talks about her first ever play Clytemnestra and Tony Blair’s former speechwriter, Philip Collins and Edith Hall, a Professor of Classics argue over the ingredients of a great speech and whether technology really has fundamentally changed the art of speechwriting.

The price of gold is on a high. Rana Mitter examines its incredible allure and asks if it has a role in the modern financial system with economist John Butler, novelist AS Byatt, metallurgist Susan La Niece, economic anthropologist Keith Hart and financial journalist Paul Lewis.

Sam West directing a new revival of Close the Coalhouse Door tells Anne McElvoy why the production still matters today. Anne is also joined by Ahmed Rashid to discuss his new book 'Pakistan on the Brink' and Louise Doughty on the tricky art of getting romantic comedy right in 'Salmon Fishing in the Yemen'. And with calls for detailed personal tax statements on how our money is spent, we look at how this will change our relationship with the state. Will increased transparency in our public institutions change the cultural landscape of Britain?

Matthew Sweet is joined by Nick Harkaway and Naomi Alderman to consider our changing relationship with the internet. He watches Kevin Macdonald's documentary on the life and legacy of Bob Marley and talks to Whit Stillman about his new film Damsels in Distress. And Kevin Jackson writes about the life of the art critic Tom Lubbock

Anne McElvoy and guests with a special programme on feminism: writing, philosophy and the body. Anne is joined by Susannah Clapp the author of "A Card from Angela Carter", the writer Janice Galloway and literary critic Suzi Feay. And Anne discusses whether the philosophical under-pinnings of feminism need adjustment with the philosophers Nancy Bauer and Meena Dhanda the feminst activist and writer Bidisha and Charlotte Vere founder of the think tank Women On.

Liberals want gentle dogs, and conservatives want obedient ones argues social and cultural psychologist Jonathan Haidt in his new book The Righteous Mind. Music critic Hilary Finch has the verdict on a new film 'Mozart's Sister'. Also, to mark the 100th anniversary of the sinking of the Titanic, Night Waves explores the nature of hubris and its relation to engineering innovations and knowledge advancement.And writer and director Enda Walsh comes in to discuss Misterman.