Front Row

John Hurt as Artist is a new exhibition in Norfolk which reveals a less well-known side of the actor who died last year. Sir John Hurt's widow Anwen discusses the mainly figurative paintings and drawings which mostly relate to the actor's off-screen life, but also include self-portraits of him in prosthetic make-up for his role as John Merrick in The Elephant Man from 1980. Ian McKellen is playing King Lear in the West End and recently Anthony Hopkins played him on television. Accompanying Lear on his bleak and tragic journey is his Fool. Karl Johnson, Fool to Anthony Hopkins' Lear, and Lloyd Hutchinson, McKellen's Fool, discuss the way they approach this enigmatic figure.Recently we've been offering inspiration on holiday reading to help you choose which books to cram into your suitcase. Today New Statesman book critic Sarah Ditum concludes the series with a set of recommendations for people holidaying closer to home, in the UK and Ireland. Presenter Kirsty Lang Producer Jerome Weatherald.Main image: Sir John Hurt printmaking. Credit: Andi Sapey

American footballer-turned-opera star Morris Robinson is returning to the Proms this weekend to perform as the bass soloist in Mahler's epic Symphony of a Thousand. He sings live and discusses his extraordinary move from the football stadium to the opera house. Sitting around of an evening with friends, a bottle of wine, discussing a good book - that's the cosy image of the Book Club. But the Richard and Judy Book Club is now exclusive to WH Smith, Fern Britten's is partnered with Tesco and Harper Collins, and there's even one called the Specsavers Zoe Ball Book Club. Amanda Ross, the television producer who invented the Richard and Judy Book Club, Guardian books correspondent Danuta Kean and journalist and book editor Sarah Shaffi discuss whether the cosy is turning commercial.Mission Impossible returns to our screens next week with a sixth instalment of the classic franchise. For 22 years the series has captivated audiences with its winning combination of spy games, double - and triple - crosses, hair-raising stunts and stunning set pieces in locations all around the world. Real life action-figure Tom Cruise is back, and at 56 years old is still hurling himself off buildings and dangling out of airborne helicopters. But the real mission (should they choose to accept it...) is for the film makers; keeping the film fresh. Film writer Hannah Woodhead has seen Mission Impossible - Fallout and gives her verdict.Presenter: Gaylene Gould Producer: Julian May.

The Lehman Trilogy at the National Theatre is an epic new play directed by Sam Mendes, which tells the story of the American banking dynasty from its humble beginnings in Alabama to its bankruptcy in the 2008 crash. John talks to Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles, who play the founding Lehman brothers and many other characters too. As the 100th Now That's What I Call Music album is released, John discusses the extraordinary success of the hits compilation series and examines its cultural impact with Now curator Pete Duckworth and music critic Katie Puckrik. Poet Zaffar Kunial's father is Kashmiri, his mother's ancestors lived in Orkney, and he was born in Birmingham, and, as he tells John Wilson, his poetry bridges these worlds and their languages. Zaffar's debut collection Us is published by Faber & Faber, which he describes as like being signed by Manchester United. Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Timothy ProsserMain image - (L-R) Simon Russell Beale, Ben Miles and Adam Godley in The Lehman Trilogy. Photo by Mark Douet.

Alan Bennett's new play Allelujah! is set in the geriatric ward of a Yorkshire hospital threatened with closure. It follows a singing, dancing choir of quick-witted elderly patients whose problem is not that they are ill so much as they have nowhere to go. Alan Bennett and director Nicholas Hytner discuss working together and how Alan manages to take on big themes - English identity, education and now the NHS - without being, he says, a "political" writer. Blenheim Palace is housing a major exhibition of the work of the radical French artist Yves Klein, famous for his ultramarine blue paintings and sculptures. Louisa Buck reviews. A new survey into ethnic diversity in children's literature has found that only 4% of all the children's books published in the UK last year featured a black, Asian or minority ethnic character. Farrah Serroukh, who led the Reflecting Realities survey, and writer Patrice Lawrence discuss the findings.Presenter: Kirsty Lang Producer: Hannah Robins.

Sacha Baron Cohen's return to TV is Who Is America?, a new series in which he dupes figures such as Sarah Palin and Bernie Sanders into giving interviews to him, heavily disguised with prosthetics. TV critic Boyd Hilton reviews.As the decision is taken to rebuild the Glasgow School of Art after its second devastating fire, Sally Stewart, Head of Architecture at the school, discusses the latest plans for the celebrated Charles Rennie Mackintosh masterpiece.Photographer Anita Corbin discusses her latest project, First Women, a series of portraits of 100 women who have broken barriers in areas including sport, law, and the military, to become the first of their gender to achieve their positions. After he was stopped from photographing a work by Rembrandt this afternoon at Scotland's National Galleries - a painting on loan from a museum that allows the public to take photographs of the painting freely - art historian Bendor Grosvenor discusses the ethics of taking photographs in art exhibitions.The Chinese fantasy epic, Asura, with special effects made in Hollywood and starring China's most popular stars, cost 112 million dollars to make and was eagerly anticipated. But after its opening last weekend China's most expensive film ever has been pulled from cinemas. The BBC's Hong Kong Bureau Chief, Vivian Wu, tells John where it all went wrong. Presenter John Wilson Producer Jerome Weatherald.

Pierce Brosnan discusses his long and varied career which began as an artist, as he reprises the role of Sam Carmichael in Mamma Mia! Here We Go Again - with less singing this time.The Irish government has recently announced a new arts strategy and funding of Euro 2.billion Euros in a programme called "Investing in Our Culture, Language and Heritage. Journalist and Art Historian Robert O' Byrne, Dr. Annie Doona, Chair of Screen Ireland, and Catherine Heaney, Chair of the National Museum of Ireland Board discuss how the plan will affect Ireland's cultural landscape.As MPs begin to debate the government's White Paper on Brexit, John Kampfner from the Creative Industries Federation explains their reaction to proposals for the arts and creative sector.Need inspiration for holiday reading? Writer Stephanie Merritt recommends books to travellers destined for Malta, Spain and Greece as part of our Summer Reads series.Presenter : Kirsty Lang Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

Grime has been on an epic journey from subculture to explosive phenomenon. John speaks to presenter DJ Target, writer of Grime Kids, and to music journalist Dan Hancox, writer of Inner City Pressure. They discuss Grime as music of protest and how it evolves in a rapidly shifting landscape.Agnès Varda on her life as a legendary film-maker of the Nouvelle Vague, and her work as an artist as her first commission in the UK for the Liverpool Biennial goes on show.It's Friday the 13th so what better day to take a look at the rich history and strange persistence of artistic superstitions? John is joined by writer Ellen Weinstein and actor Michael Simkins.Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Sarah Johnson.Main image: John Wilson and Agnès Varda. Credit: Ben Mitchell

Torchwood and Broadchurch star Eve Myles returns to our screens in the Welsh-noir series Keeping Faith. The drama centres around a working mother, Faith Howells, as she deals with the personal and professional fallout of her husband's mysterious disappearance. Originally broadcast in Welsh on S4C, an English language version is now being shown on BBC One after breaking viewing records on BBC Wales and the BBC iPlayer.Lyricist Bernie Taupin talks about his extraordinary partnership with Elton John that created dozens of hits such as Rocket Man and Sacrifice. To celebrate 50 years of writing together they've asked famous country music stars - from Dolly Parton to Willie Nelson - to reimagine their songs for a new album, Restoration.This Class Works is an exhibition in Sheffield showcasing Northern working class artists. We speak to the curator Pete McKee and Ella Murtha, daughter of photographer Tish Murtha, whose work depicting of youth unemployment during Thatcher's Britain is included in the show. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Hannah Robins.

Theatre criticism has been in the dock recently after a reviewer was publicly reproached for mentioning an actor's weight. Critics Sarah Crompton and Quentin Letts debate whether reviewers should feel free to assess an actor's body as well as their performance.Olly Alexander from Years and Years discusses the band's new album, Palo Santo, which combines a sci-fi setting with a visceral account of his life as a gay man. And he performs a song from the new release. Veteran American documentary filmmaker Frederick Wiseman delves into the world of the New York Public Library in his 42nd documentary, EX LIBRIS. The honorary Oscar winner tells Stig Abell about film-making at 88 years of age, and why he chooses to do all of the research, shooting and editing himself. Presenter: Stig Abell Producer: Julian MayMain Image: Olly Alexander. Credit: Years and Years.

Holly Hunter talks about her four-decade career in Hollywood, including her Oscar winning performance in The Piano, her role as a TV journalist in Broadcast News, and returning to voice Elastigirl in the blockbuster animation, Incredibles 2. The National Theatre of Wales is marking the 70th anniversary of the NHS with a season of new plays performed across Wales. Samira talks to Peter Cox, writer of the The Stick-Maker Tales, about a shepherd in the Elan Valley, and Kully Thiarai, Artistic Director of the National Theatre of Wales. Need inspiration for holiday reading? Writer and translator Daniel Hahn recommends books to travellers destined for Russia, Sri Lanka and the Czech Republic, as part of our Summer Reads series. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Timothy Prosser.