Front Row Weekly

Kirsty Lang talks to John Kander, composer of the hit musicals Cabaret, Chicago and now The Scottsboro Boys; actor Michael Sheen discusses performing Under Milk Wood to celebrate Dylan Thomas's centenary; Lynda Nead reviews the new Egon Schiele exhibition The Radical Nude at London's Courtauld Gallery; Brad Pitt on his latest film role in WWII drama, Fury; film director David Cronenberg discusses penning his first novel, Consumed; Led Zeppelin guitarist Jimmmy Page on remastering the band's legendary rock song, Stairway to Heaven; actor Robert Downey Jr talks about his latest role as hotshot lawyer Hank Palmer in The Judge; and Boris Johnson considers Churchill's legacy on the 50th anniversary of his death.

John Wilson talks to the godfather of punk, Iggy Pop, ahead of this year's BBC Music John Peel Lecture; Simon Schama reviews the National Gallery's new blockbuster exhibition Rembrandt: The Late Works; Bob Geldof talks about re-forming The Boomtown Rats; Gillian Anderson discusses her debut sci-fi novel, A Vision of Fire; Disney chief Thomas Schumacher on creating The Lion King and a stage version of Frozen; Rachel Joyce on how to follow a Booker-nominated, bestselling novel; and Cat Stevens on his newest album, Tell 'Em I'm Gone.

John Cleese talks to John Wilson about his memoir; Tracey Emin makes it clear why she feels motherhood and a career as an artist are incompatible; Phil Collins, Mike Rutherford and Tony Banks of Genesis discuss a new documentary about the band; Clive Jameson talks to Samira Ahmed about his love of poetry and reads his latest poem Japanese Maple; Phyllida Lloyd on her all-female production Henry IV; actress Sheila Hancock comes in to discuss her debut novel; plus Ed Sheeran considers song-writing as revenge and explains why so many of his lyrics are about drinking.

Dame Hilary Mantel from the BBC Radio Theatre, as Front Row announces the winner of the BBC National Short Story Award 2014; Kristin Scott Thomas on playing Electra; a review of the Turner Prize Shortlist; Olivia Harrison on George Harrison's solo work; Stephen Fry on his latest book 'More Fool Me'; Actress Rosamund Pike on her role in the screen adaptation of best selling crime thriller 'Gone Girl'; and a review of 'Terror and Wonder: the Gothic Imagination' at the British Library.

British actor Toby Jones discusses his role in TV drama Marvellous; John Lahr on how he got inside the mind of Tennessee Williams for a new biography; Ricky Tomlinson and playwright Neil Gore talk to John Wilson about United We Stand, a new play which looks at the controversial criminal prosecution that followed the 1972 national building workers' strike; Anselm Kiefer has his first major UK retrospective- the exhibition's curator Kathleen Soriano discusses the themes and the monumental scale of Kiefer's work; Bernard Sumner, one of the founding members of Joy Division and New Order, discusses his autobiography; as two plays about youth activism open, playwrights James Graham and Tim Price discuss portraying political protest on stage; French singer Charles Aznavour, whose hits include the classic She.

Denzel Washington talks about being an avenging angel in his new film, The Equalizer; we get a new perspective on John Constable thanks to a new exhibition at the Victoria & Albert Museum and there’s existential angst courtesy of actor Mikel Murfi and playwright Edna Walsh, who's new play Ballyturk is at the National Theatre. We get a preview of the British Museum's new exhibition - Ming: 50 years that changed China; folk legend Joan Baez shares her worries about her voice after five decades of singing; top percussionist, Colin Currie, demonstrates how to use his own body as an instrument and best-selling author Kate Mosse tells her about her latest novel, The Taxidermist’s Daughter.

Singer-songwriter and composer Rufus Wainwright on his Late Night Prom. Novelist James Ellroy pushes further back into the 1940s in Perfidia, his new prequel to LA Confidential. Soprano Joyce DiDonato on her new album and we go on the road with the Kinshasa Symphony Orchestra, forged in the wartorn Democratic Republic of Congo. Kirsty Lang takes a look at the big new Turner exhibition at Tate Britain and asks does it live up to the hype? Scandinavian artist Olafur Eliasson on how Turner inspired him to capture the weather in his art and Razia Iqbal talks to Lydia Wilson and Oliver Chris about playing Prince William and Kate Middleton.

Helen Mirren on why she had to put on ze French accent in new film The Hundred Foot Journey. Booker nominated author David Mitchell explains the parallel worlds explored in his new novel The Bone Clocks. John Wilson takes his first piano lesson – from Chinese superstar Lang Lang… Lenny Henry talks about his latest stage role and Kirsty Lang meets music legend Tony Bennett. Novelist Pat Barker and playwright Nicholas Wright talk about bringing Pat’s novel Regeneration to the stage.

Kirsty Lang talks to Hollywood star Jessie Eisenberg on acting versus writing. Novelist Margaret Atwood discusses her new collection of short stories and flamenco guitarist, Paco Pena talks about being inspired by Lorca. We take a look at the Frank Auerbach paintings collected by his friend Lucien Freud and actor Jon Hamm on life after Mad Men. Johnny Marr talks about his enduring love of the guitar. Playwright Richard Bean discusses his prolific and varied career and documentary maker Alex Gibney who has made a film about Nigerian musical superstar Fela Kuti.

John Wilson talks to actress Lisa Dwan about the physical and emotional stresses of performing Samuel Beckett’s monologue, Not I. Andy Bell and Vince Clarke from Erasure discuss their new album. Foster’s Comedy Award nominee Sara Pasco talks about historic romances in her new show and we find out why doctors are turning to poetry to help their bedside manners. Razia Iqbal meets Ilan Volkov who will be conducting the Icelandic Symphony Orchestra Prom’s debut. Actor Simon Pegg discusses his new film about a man in search of happiness and Kirsty Lang talks to the creator of Game of Thrones, George R R Martin.

The singer Loudon Wainwright III, father of Rufus and Martha, discusses his latest album Haven't Got the Blues (Yet). Mad Men star Christina Hendricks talks about her new film, God’s Pocket and Irish singer Sinead O’Connor on her new album and new image… The conductor, Sir Neville Marriner discusses his long and varied career and his return to the BBC Proms and following the success of the Inbetweeners TV sitcom making a successful transfer to the big screen, co-creators Damon Beesley and Iain Morris talk about their second Inbetweeners film. And Samira Ahmed talks to writer DBC Pierre about his new novella, Breakfast With The Borgias

Adrian Dunbar known for playing a police chief is doing something completely different. Katie Paterson explains why she’s sending a meteorite back into space and Jonny Greenwood performing his Grammy award winning score live. John Wilson talks to Choir master Gareth Malone and War Horse composer Adrian Sutton, Matt Wolf reviews The Young Vic theatre’s new production of A Streetcar Named desire and Julian Lloyd Webber on his future plans in music.

This week Rebecca Hall talks about working with her father Sir Peter Hall; Long Yu, conductor of the China Philharmonic on their historic Proms debut and newly appointed Master of the Queen’s Music Judith Weir. Novelist Philip Hensher discusses his time travelling novel The Emperor Waltz and Manchester United fan Eamonn Holmes reviews new football film Believe. The discovery of Tutankhamun’s tomb is the subject of a new exhibition at the Ashmolean Museum in Oxford, Billy Elliott writer Lee Hall talks about taking on Shakespeare in Love from screen to stage and the Giant Puppets return to Liverpool.

Samira Ahmed talks to the self-proclaimed inventors of the selfie Gilbert and George. Laura Clouting and James Taylor discuss the newly refurbished Imperial War Museum and John Fay challenges the cosy nostalgia of period drama. Razia Iqbal asks do architects have a responsibility to ensure the safety of those who make their buildings? John Wilson talks to Nigel Havers who returns to The Importance Of Being Earnest, discusses the life and work of Nadine Gordimer and talks to Matt Reeves, director of the new Planet Of The Apes movie.

Peter Greenaway talks about his latest film about the 16th Century Dutch painter Goltzius and we take a journey to the National Maritime Museum Maxine Peake discusses her stage debut as a playwright with the premiere of Beryl at the West Yorkshire Playhouse and we hear from writer Fredrik Backman whose debut novel about a Swedish Victor Meldrew has become a word-of-mouth bestseller. John Wilson discusses the value of museums, in today's social and economic climate with some leading museum directors and also to actor Gina McKee about starring in Richard III.