Front Row

Indira Varma, Víkingur Ólafsson, Snowpiercer and The Lockdown Plays reviewed, DJ Mr Switch, Tom Morris


Listen Later

“Lock up your libraries if you like; but there is no gate, no lock, no bolt that you can set upon the freedom of my mind,” wrote Virginia Woolf in her 1929 essay A Room of One’s Own. On the eve of Radio 4’s adaptation of Woolf’s totemic study in the treatment of women across the generations we talk to Indira Varma who stars.

The DJ Mr Switch, aka Anthony Culverwell, discusses Gabriel Prokofiev’s classical composition, Concerto for Turntables, released this week. Mr Switch performed it at the BBC Proms in 2011 to great acclaim, and at home at his turntables the DJ explains and demonstrates the art of turntablism.

Icelandic pianist Víkingur Ólafsson continues his weekly live performances from the empty Harpa Concert Hall in Reykjavik, as Front Row’s Lockdown Artist in Residence. Tonight Víkingur plays Chopin’s Prelude in B Minor, a piece very special to the composer.

For Front Row's Friday review, Bong Joon Ho's 2013 film Snowpiercer never had a full cinematic release in this country but won critical acclaim. Now Netflix have produced a new series based on the story. And The Lockdown Plays is a new podcast for charity involving some of the country's top actors and playwrights such as Caryl Churchill and Clint Dyer. Critics Naima Khan and Ryan Gilbey give their verdicts on both.

Tomorrow will be Bristol Old Vic’s 254th birthday. Usually anyone living in Bristol can perform on the stage of the oldest theatre in the country on its birthday. This, sadly, has had to now move online. Tom Morris talks about the Bristol Arts Channel, which opens tonight with the streaming of the Bristol Old Vic production of Messiah. The channel involves venues all over the city offering the audience a night out in Bristol.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed

Producer: Julian May

...more
View all episodesView all episodes
Download on the App Store

Front RowBy BBC Radio 4

  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4
  • 4.4

4.4

118 ratings


More shows like Front Row

View all
Global News Podcast by BBC World Service

Global News Podcast

7,595 Listeners

Ask Penguin by Penguin Books UK

Ask Penguin

158 Listeners

Newshour by BBC World Service

Newshour

1,057 Listeners

In Our Time by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time

5,462 Listeners

In Our Time: History by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: History

1,878 Listeners

In Our Time: Philosophy by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Philosophy

866 Listeners

In Our Time: Culture by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Culture

608 Listeners

In Our Time: Science by BBC Radio 4

In Our Time: Science

732 Listeners

Arts & Ideas by BBC Radio 4

Arts & Ideas

305 Listeners

6 Minute English by BBC Radio

6 Minute English

1,749 Listeners

Learning English Conversations by BBC Radio

Learning English Conversations

1,041 Listeners

World Book Club by BBC World Service

World Book Club

369 Listeners

Desert Island Discs by BBC Radio 4

Desert Island Discs

1,978 Listeners

Great Lives by BBC Radio 4

Great Lives

477 Listeners

Last Word by BBC Radio 4

Last Word

45 Listeners

Backlisted by Backlisted

Backlisted

591 Listeners

Start the Week by BBC Radio 4

Start the Week

161 Listeners

Bookclub by BBC Radio 4

Bookclub

243 Listeners

Private Passions by BBC Radio 3

Private Passions

45 Listeners

The TLS Podcast by The TLS

The TLS Podcast

183 Listeners

The Waterstones Podcast by Waterstones

The Waterstones Podcast

36 Listeners

You're Dead to Me by BBC Radio 4

You're Dead to Me

3,193 Listeners

This Cultural Life by BBC Radio 4

This Cultural Life

86 Listeners

Take Four Books by BBC Radio 4

Take Four Books

5 Listeners

A Good Read by BBC Radio 4

A Good Read

42 Listeners