Front Row Weekly

Alan Bennett on his recent work for the stage; TV writer and producer Kay Mellor; violinist Nigel Kennedy; re-working Scandinavian dramas; conductor Sir John Eliot Gardiner.

Conductor Gustavo Dudamel; Pompeii at the British Museum; Twilight creator Stephenie Meyer; Edmund de Waal; musicians take on the Seven Deadly Sins and Hilary Mantel.

Portraying the PM on stage; artist Yinka Shonibare: the return of Lara Croft; actor Mark Strong; author Tash Aw; artist Chuck Close and George Benjamin and Martin Crimp on their opera Written on Skin.

Sue Perkins on a varied TV plate from The Great British Bake-Off to a homophobic lesbian vet in a new sit-com; Brett Anderson on getting Mercury-winning band Suede back together after a decade’s gap and writer Edith Pearlman on being acclaimed – at the age of 76 - as a lost giant of American short fiction. John Wilson talks to singer Robbie Wlliams and actress Claire Foy. Director Marc Isaacs discusses the stretch of the A5 which inspired his documentary The Road: A Story Of Life And Death.

Nicole Kidman on horror roles; footballer Walter Tull's life on stage; African musicians Salif Keita and Rokia Traore; Shameless producer Paul Abbott; author Margaret Forster and the Jacksons.

BAFTA award winner Ben Affleck discusses his film Argo; Singer Tracey Thorne discusses her autobigraphy and theatre director Marianne Elliott on why she's not quite ready to run the National Theatre. Actor David Oyelowo on working with Nicole Kidman and playwright Mark Ravenhill on writing and long distance running. And Daniel Kleinman, the man who gives the credit to James Bond

Harry Hill on his return to standup and Antony Sher on his latest acting role at the National Theatre. Terry Jones and his son Bill talk about making a Monty Python film and singer Jake Bugg on learning the guitar. French cinema's forgotten man, Rene Clement; actor Chiwetel Ejiofor on his latest role and a review Ice Age artefacts.

Rowan Atkinson on returning to the stage; Wilko Johnson on facing death; Light Show at the Hayward Gallery reviewed; Benjamin Britten's latest biographer; Kristin Scott Thomas and Lia Williams on performing Pinter; opera singer Lesley Garrett.

Jessica Chastain talks about her role in Zero Dark Thirty and Denzel Washington on his new film, Flight. 2012 Costa nominees Hilary Mantel and Bryan & Mary Talbot on being shortlisted; Alexei Sayle discusses his return to standup and Ruthie Henshall on a career on stage.

John Sessions at 60; playwright Polly Stenham; cellist Matthew Barley; Jonathan Lynn, writer of Yes, Prime Minister; Kathleen Jamie winner of the 2012 Costa Poetry award; actor Brian Cox.