Mark Lawson talks to Sir David Jason about balancing privacy with autobiography; to the new artistic director of the National Theatre, Rufus Norris, on learning to speak up for UK drama; to songwriter Tori Amos and playwright Samuel Adamson about their new musical fairytale for the 21st century; and he follows a Frank Auerbach picture into a Luton primary school; while Kirsty Lang meets writer Penelope Lively; and John Wilson talks to Sir Paul McCartney about finding new things to do at 71.

Tom Hanks on his latest role as an American captain taken hostage at sea. Jennifer Saunders explains why she lied to Goldie Hawn. Sir John Eliot Gardiner on the 50 of conducting that informed his new book about Johann Sebastian Bach and John Wilson meets artist Frank Auerbach and musician Anoushka Shankar

David Tennant and Gregory Doran on Richard II; Actress Saoirse Ronan; rapper Dizzee Rascal; Australian author Hannah Kent; Adil Ray on his TV persona Citizen Khan; documentary-maker Lucy Walker.

This week actor Hugh Jackman on his new film Prisoners and pianist Alfred Brendel discusses his new career as a performance poet in collaboration with his cello-playing son. Performer Johnny Vegas - aka Michael Pennington - on how he was almost destroyed by his stage-name. Kirsty Lang talks to War Horse author Michael Morpurgo to mark his 70th birthday and John Wilson launches the BBC Short Story Competition - with short-listed author Sarah Hall - and meets American artist Richard Serra.

Sir Derek Jacobi on overcoming stage-fright; Naomi Watts defends her decision to portray Princess Diana; Sting talks to John Wilson about his plans for a Broadway musical; David Walliams and Sheridan Smith hope to attract younger theatre-goers to A Midsummer Night's Dream; while Much Ado About Nothing for an older generation is discussed by Mark Rylance with Kirsty Lang.

Comedian Lee Evans; the Man Booker Prize shortlist; Nicky Wire from Manic Street Preachers; Cillian Murphy on TV drama Peaky Blinders; the final book in Patrick Leigh Fermor's travel trilogy; Dennis Kelly who wrote the book for the hit musical Matilda and created the cult Channel 4 series Utopia.

Actress Tamsin Greig; Stephen Fry on Verdi and Wagner; Edna O'Brien, Colm Toibin, Michael Longley and Hermione Lee pay tribute to Seamus Heaney; reggae group UB40; comedians Nadia Kamil and Mary Bourke on how to make feminism funny.

Mark Lawson talks to Marin Alsop, the first woman to conduct the Last Night of the Proms; writers Ruth Rendell and Jeanette Winterson discuss their friendship at the Harrogate Crime Writing Festival; Philip French puts away his pen after being The Observer's film critic for 50 years; Scottish playwright and artist John Byrne talks about his new mural for the King's Theatre in Edinburgh; film director Nic Roeg looks back at his career, sex scenes and more in the light of his newly-published memoir; historian Simon Schama discusses the challenge of bringing his latest project The Story of the Jews to television; and Scottish band Franz Ferdinand are back with a new album, Right Thoughts, Right Words, Right Action.

Dramatist Tom Stoppard on why he has adapted a famous rock album for radio; novelist Charlaine Harris on getting it in the neck from readers for ending her True Blood vampire series; Vince Gilligan, creator of Breaking Bad and comedians Jonny Sweet and Simon Bird talk about their new World War I sit-com. Novelist Nadifa Mohamed explores in fiction the Somalian childhood she never had and John Wilson meets producer-musician Naughty Bo and closes down the Cultural Exchange with Armando Iannucci.

Crime writer Ruth Rendell talks to Mark Lawson about her distinguished career; from the Edinburgh Festival comedian Reginald D Hunter explains how to upset the English and writer-performer Sarah Louise Young performs the story of Dame Julie Andrews; poet John Agard discusses the importance of learning verse by heart with Mark; and John Wilson meets The Clash and actor-rapper Riz Ahmed and examines the work of Edinburgh born artist Peter Doig.