Tom Rob Smith, the first crime writer to make it on to the Booker longlist with Child 44, discusses London Spy, his new TV thriller in which a young romantic, played by Ben Whishaw, is drawn through love into the dangerous world of espionage.

Irish writer Kevin Barry talks about his new novel Beatlebone, in which a crisis-ridden John Lennon tries to get to the island he owned in real life in Clew Bay, Co Mayo, in 1978.

Modern Scottish Women: Painters and Sculptors 1885-1965 is the first major exhibition of work by women artists to be mounted by the National Galleries of Scotland. Art critic Jan Patience reviews.

As part of the BBC On Stage season, Front Row goes backstage and eavesdrops on what's going on shortly before a show begins. Tonight Neve McIntosh, who plays Elizabeth Proctor in The Crucible at the Bristol Old Vic, shares the ritual of her preparation in the last half-hour before curtain-up.

Presenter Kirsty Lang

Producer Jerome Weatherald.

Nicholas McCarthy will be performing Ravel's Piano Concerto for One Hand, the first one handed pianist to do so since Paul Wittgenstein's recital in 1951. He commissioned the work after losing his arm in WW1. Nicholas will also be playing pieces from his debut album, Solo, which recently went to number 4 in the classical charts.

Front Row goes on air at 7.15, shortly before, in theatres all over the country, the curtain goes up. The programme's contribution to this month's BBC On Stage Season is a series of items in which Front Row goes backstage and eavesdrops on what's going on shortly before the show begins. Tonight we're with the cast of 'As You Like' as Jeanette Nelson, Head of Voice at the National Theatre, leads their vocal warm up before they take the stage in the vasty Olivier auditorium.

In Burnt Bradley Cooper plays two starred Michelin Chef Adam Jones whose drinking, drug taking and diva behaviour have left his career in ruins. He is determined to rebuild his reputation with the help of talented but reluctant Sous Chef Helene (played by Sienna Miller) by gaining his third Michelin star. Antonia Quirke reviews.

The author and historian Dominic Sandbrook discusses his study of the success and background of British modern popular culture - from Agatha Christie to The X Factor - in his latest book The Great British Dream Factory and a new four-part BBC2 series Let Us Entertain You which begins this evening.

Director Danny Boyle discusses his new film Steve Jobs, in which Michael Fassbender plays the Apple co-founder, with a script by The Social Network and The West Wing writer, Aaron Sorkin.

Chariots of Fire director Hugh Hudson and Kes director Ken Loach remember actor, writer and producer Colin Welland, whose death was announced today.

Singer and political activist Billy Bragg is about to publish A Lover Sings, a new anthology of lyrics to 70 of his songs. He discusses the collection which features some of his best-known songs, including A New England and Levi Stubbs' Tears.

Presenter John Wilson

Producer Jerome Weatherald.

He Named Me Malala is a new film documentary about Malala Yousafzai, the young woman from Pakistan who was shot in the head by the Taliban for speaking out in support of the education of girls. Novelist Kamila Shamsie reviews this intimate portrait of the Nobel Peace Prize Laureate.

On Friday, violinist Nicola Benedetti will perform the world premiere of the violin concerto that composer Wynton Marsalis has written for her. They talk to Samira about how their five year collaboration came about.

As Alistair McDowall's hit play, Pomona, opens in Manchester, he reveals how his dystopian thriller was inspired by an abandoned island near the centre of the city.

All this week, as part of the BBC's On Stage Season, Front Row is discovering what happens backstage in theatres across the country just before the curtain goes up. Tonight we follow a fight rehearsal with a difference as Topthorn and Joey, the life-size equestrian puppets in War Horse, and their six puppeteers prepare to do battle.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed

Producer: Angie Nehring.

Kirsty Lang talks to Saoirse Ronan, Oscar nominated at the age of 13 for Atonement, who plays an Irish immigrant in her new film Brooklyn, based on Colm Toibin's novel.

As Halloween approaches, unsurprisingly book publishers take advantage and countless book about ghosts have been appearing on our shelves. We take a look at three quite different examples and ask why our fascination with ghosts continues.

Susannah Clapp reviews The Old Vic's new production of The Hairy Ape, Eugene O'Neill's classic expressionist masterpiece. Yank, played by Bertie Carvel, is a labourer who revels in his status as the strongest stoker on a transatlantic ocean liner.

This week the opening of the house where Jimi Hendrix lived as a museum was announced. Kirsty hears from Benji Kirkpatrick, who will be playing at the opening, why he has made an album of the rock singer and electric guitar wizard's songs that are performed entirely acoustically and with no trace of a guitar.

Producer: Julian May.

The author of Cloud Atlas, David Mitchell, talks about his new horror-inspired novel Slade House. Inhabiting the same universe as his last book The Bone Clocks, this new 'slim' novel covers a period starting in 1979 and ending this weekend, and began its life as a series of tweets.

The dramatic ruins of a Bristol church is the venue for Theaster Gates's Sanctum. For 24 days there will be performances around the clock - from poetry to a drum and pipe band, choirs to readings - creating 576 hours of continuous sound.

In 1625 the celebrated Baroque composer Francesca Caccini became the first woman to write an opera, La Liberazione di Ruggiero. As Brighton Early Music Festival puts on rare performances of the work, music director Deborah Roberts explains why she is important.

The musician, Sting is auctioning off part of his art collection. Andrew Male from Mojo magazine, takes a look at what a pop musician's taste in paintings can reveal.

Presenter Samira Ahmed

Producer Angie Nehring.

Samira Ahmed talks to fashion designer Hussein Chalayan about his ground-breaking dance show at Sadler's Wells. With Artistic Director Alistair Spalding.

As TV sitcom Citizen Khan returns to our screens, Samira is joined by writer and producer Anil Gupta, who also created Goodness Gracious Me.

Mafia expert John Dickie reviews Black Souls, an acclaimed Italian crime drama from director Francesco Munzi.

And Samira explores an exhibition at the British Museum about Egyptian religion after the Pharaohs, with curator Elisabeth O'Connell.

Anthony Hopkins and Ian McKellen discuss playing Sir and Norman in The Dresser, Richard Eyre's television adaptation of Ronald Harwood's 1980 play, which tells the story of the relationship between a stage actor and his devoted backstage dresser, and their struggles to get ready for Sir's next performance.

Iranian Director Jafar Panahi was previously placed under house-arrest for propaganda against the Iranian government and is currently serving a 20-year ban on directing any films. Despite the restriction, he has managed to bring out another film. Taxi sees Panahi himself as a taxi driver driving around Tehran and sharing in-car conversations with various members of the local community. Iranian-born journalist and broadcaster Kamin Mohammadi reviews.

As Guy Garvey prepares to release his first solo album Courting the Squall, the Elbow frontman discusses taking a break from his routine, his desire to increase his workload and try his hand at new ventures including acting and writing.

Presenter John Wilson

Producer Ella-mai Robey.

As well as starring in the film Suffragette and the TV drama series From Darkness, Anne-Marie Duff is currently on stage at the National Theatre in Husbands & Sons, a combination of three plays DH Lawrence wrote about the Nottinghamshire mining community he grew up in, directed by Marianne Elliott. Samira meets Anne-Marie and Marianne in the theatre to discuss the challenge of staging them as a single play.

Kevin Allen's new film Under Milk Wood features Mrs Ogmore Prichard as a dominatrix and has Mr Pugh tearing the heart from his wife as they dance the Tango. Professor John Goodby asks if it's a good idea to update Dylan Thomas for a modern audience.

Dominic West and Ruth Wilson star in The Affair which examines the emotional and psychological aftermath of infidelity. Dreda Say Mitchell reviews the new series.

As the nights draw in and British Summer Time comes to an end - Front Row considers how filmmakers, writers, and composers have responded to the fading light of winter. With David Sexton, Literary Critic for the Evening Standard - Briony Hanson, Director of Film at the British Council - and Jeremy Summerly, Conductor and Director of Music at St Peter's College, Oxford.

Tracey Thorn, singer-songwriter and one half of Everything But the Girl, discusses her work as a solo artist, which forms the basis of a new two-disc compilation.

ITV's new adaptation of the Jekyll and Hyde story begins this Sunday. Greg Tate, lecturer in Victorian literature, talks us through how TV and film have made use of the character over the years.

As part of the commemoration of the Magna Carta's 800th anniversary, Salisbury Playhouse has commissioned four internationally-known dramatists to write new plays inspired by the document, said to be the origin of the liberties and the rule of law we enjoy today. Playwrights Howard Brenton and Sally Woodcock discuss their separate dramas.