Front Row

Amber Butchart, fashion historian and writer, offers sharp takes on Schiaparelli’s surreal designs. Rhianna Dhillon, critic and broadcaster, dissects Riz Ahmed’s comedy Bait and other screen releases. They debate casting culture, pacing and tone in Bait. Conversation also covers Schiaparelli’s whimsical couture and a Kafkaesque film about Stalinist bureaucracy, plus a controversy over a possibly AI-assisted novel.

Forbes Masson, actor and writer who revived the cult sitcom as a stage musical, recalls reuniting with Alan Cumming and updating the show's cheeky humour for modern audiences. Claire Shenstone, artist in her 70s who uses her own face in her work, talks about painting ageing expressions. Richard Cork, art critic and historian, reflects on how older people are shown in art and culture.

Noah Wyle, American actor famed for ER, talks about creating and performing in the high-octane medical drama The Pit. Iestyn Davies, acclaimed countertenor, and Elizabeth Kenny, lutenist, celebrate John Dowland’s songs for intimate Wigmore Hall performances. John Berry, former ENO artistic director, debates bringing contemporary playwrights and new stories into opera. Short, lively conversations on craft, performance and cultural relevance.

Phil Dunster, actor from Ted Lasso, talks about his new comedy Rooster and working on US TV. Dr Clive Chijioke Nwonka, BFI film curator, curates a season on boxing films and explores why the sport suits cinema. Natalie Jamieson, culture journalist, reviews and gives a verdict on the UK launch of Saturday Night Live. They also discuss casting, comedic rhythm, and boxing on screen.

Will Page, former Spotify economist who tracks music industry trends and AI issues; Zoe Williams, sharp cultural journalist and reviewer; Alexander Larman, historian and critic. They dissect Paolo Sorrentino’s La Grazia: its visuals, politics and performances. They also debate Gorky’s Summerfolk at the National, Michael Arditti’s sprawling novel The Tribe, and how AI-created sound-alikes are reshaping streaming.

Catherine Opie, American photographer famed for portraits of queer communities and documentary work. Helen Bain, author of The Daffodil Days, who reconstructed Plath and Hughes' year in Devon from local recollections. They discuss intimate archival research, reversed narrative choices, oral histories and how community perspectives shape storytelling. The conversation centers on voice, memory and the politics of representation.

Annabelle Lopez Ochoa, Belgian-Colombian choreographer who turns Anne Lister’s diaries into ballet movement. Julie Yoon-yong Lee, BBC Korean Service reporter who explains BTS’s cultural weight and the trot revival. Salma El‑Wardany, writer reimagining Deirdre with Irish and Egyptian‑Pakistani roots. Martin Edwards, crime novelist and historian reflecting on Len Deighton’s legacy. They discuss dance translation, K‑Pop comebacks, mythic retellings and espionage fiction.

Bea Ballard, veteran TV producer who shapes big talk shows, and Boyd Hilton, sharp entertainment critic, dissect the BBC chat format and its staging. Ryan Gosling, actor, chats about bringing Project Hail Mary from page to screen and performing with puppetry. Rebecca Lucy Taylor, aka Self-Esteem, talks music and theatre and performs a new song for Teeth and Smiles.

Sarah Crompton, theatre critic and arts writer, and Ben Luke, art critic for the Art Newspaper, discuss David Hockney’s Serpentine show and its ninety-metre iPad frieze. They debate presentation and technique, weigh Hockney’s portraits against his digital work, and explore show highlights. They also touch on novels, a tense film about wartime food tasters, and writing tips from a short‑story judge.

James McAvoy, award-winning Scottish actor making his directorial debut, talks about casting, recreating a Noughties concert and the true-lie story of two Dundee rappers. Sarah Quintrell, screenwriter reframing Austen, explains centering Mary Bennet for fresh humour and tone. Brother Samuel, Anglican Franciscan friar, explores St Francis’s life, public display and artistic legacy.