The Arts Hour

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Nikki Bedi speaks to German director Joscha Bongard about his film, Babystar and discusses this week’s cultural highlights with critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh:

Australian movie star Hugh Jackman on starring in his latest film, The Death of Robin Hood, a gritty incarnation of the well-known folklore hero

Japanese British Nobel Prize winning novelist Kazuo Ishiguro on what makes a good train film

New Zealand Meg Mason on exploring obsession in her novel, Sophie Standing There

American actor Emmy Rossum on her role in the TV series, Furious

And we hear music from Bangladeshi singer Xefer Rahman who is known for her viral song, Jhumka

Photo Credit: Stephanie Augello/Getty Images

Nikki Bedi and Rhianna Dhillon chat about the week’s big film release, Practical Magic 2 – is it bewitching or cursed?

Plus, Indian dancer Radhe Jaggi joins to discuss the enchanting art of Bharatanatyam.

We also hear from Heartstopper creator Alice Oseman about turning her hugely popular comics into a smash Netflix series.

Actor Dominic Sessa talks about playing a young Anthony Bourdain in the movie Tony.

And Colson Whitehead, the double-Pulitzer Prize winning novelist behind The Nickel Boys and Underground Railroad, talks about the final book in his Harlem trilogy, Cool Machine.

(Photo: Nicole Kidman (L) and Sandra Bullock (R) stand side by side as they pose for a photo. Nicole has long blonde hair and wears a low cut black lace dress with matching lace choker. Sandra has long brown hair and wears a white shirt with oversized pointed collars under a black blazer. Credit: Getty Images)

Nikki Bedi’s interview guest, Kanan Gill, is one of the biggest comedians to come out of India. He talks about his global tour with the show, Not This Again, and critic Bidisha joins them in conversation about other cultural highlights of the week

Director Ridley Scott on his dystopian western film, The Dog Stars

French pianist sisters, Katia and Marielle Labèque, on 55 years of performing together

TS Eliot prize winning poet, Anthony Joseph, shares his memories of growing up in Trinidad

Guyanese-British actor Letitia Wright, who plays Shuri in the Marvel Universe movies, discusses returning to the stage

And the American opera star Angel Blue talks about preparing to perform in the Proms, at London’s Royal Albert Hall

(Image: Kanan Gill on stage in Edinburgh 2026. Credit Jenny Forward-Hayter.)

Nikki Bedi speaks to the Oscar winning documentary maker Orlando von Einsiedel about his latest film, The Cycle of Love and discusses this week's cultural highlights with critic Arifa Akbar:

Australian star of the excellent medical drama The Pitt, Shabana Azeez on the importance of lunch

American author Ruth Ozeki on her early career as a filmmaker

Tony and Emmy award winning actor Stockard Channing on choosing a Samuel Beckett play for her directorial theatre debut

And we hear from the legendary South African singers Ladysmith Black Mambazo

Photo Credit: Michael Loccisano/Getty Images

British actor James Norton, on joining the cast of the hugely popular Game of Thrones prequel, House of the Dragon

Global girl group KATSEYE, born from the TV reality show Dream Academy on the pressure of coping with judgement on social media

Afrobeat legend Dele Sosimi on unearthing rare African recordings for a new compilation

Grammy-award winning singer and actor Charli XCX on her new album

Nikki Bedi meets Booker Prize longlisted Mexican American author Chloe Aridjis to discuss her latest novel, The Shadow of the Object

American star of stage and screen Neil Patrick Harris on his latest film role in Sunny Dancer ... set in a summer camp for teenagers with cancer

Swedish pop royalty Robyn on Sexistential, her new album

Nikki is joined by cultural critic, cineaste and opinion maker Hanna Flint to reflect on this week's cultural highlights

Photo Credit: Daniele Venturelli/WireImage

Nikki Bedi meets Preeti and Kranti - two members of India’s first all-female hip hop collective, Wild Wild Women - to talk about their extraordinary journeys thus far

Plus critic Alexandra Steinacker-Clark joins to give her take on the cultural talking points of the week:

We hear from Ru Paul from smash TV series Drag Race about his new comedy caper movie STOP! THAT! TRAIN!

Luxembourgish German actor Vicky Krieps on the unique way that she shakes off her characters when she finishes a role

The American composer Missy Mazzoli on what inspired her highly-acclaimed opioid crisis opera, The Galloping Cure

Patrick Brammall and Harriet Dyer, real life couple and co-creators of the hit Australian series Colin from Accounts on how they work together

Cuban ballet star Carlos Acosta on the moment he knew that dance was his destiny

And West African “digital voodoo” music from the feminist band Nana Benz du Togo

Producer: Ciaran Bermingham

British actor Samantha Morton on playing Circe in Christopher Nolan’s blockbuster film, The Odyssey.

Nikki Bedi meets US comedy star Jay Jurden to talk about his stand-up show Jay Jurden Takes London.

American screen star Helen Hunt on tackling Chekhov’s play, The Cherry Orchard.

The French director Alain Gomis on deconstructing cinema.

The legendary and double Oscar-winning cinematographer Roger Deakins on working with the Coen brothers.

Nigerian British comedian and actor Ayoade Bamgboye on the UK version of Saturday Night Live.

Plus, we hear from Norwegian composer Ola Gjeilo.

Nikki Bedi is joined by Karen Krizanovich to reflect on this week's cultural highlights.

(Photo: Actor Samantha Morton. Credit: Christopher Polk)

Presenter: Nikki Bedi

Actor, writer and director Uzoamaka Power talks about her romcom, Call of My Life, which has been breaking box office records in Nigeria

The country-pop Canadian superstar singer Shania Twain talks about how she got her big break.

Indian director Tarsem Singh on his cult classic film The Fall, two decades on.

British singer-songwriter and actor Nadine Shah shares her Pakistani musical heroine.

Oscar-winning actor JK Simmons on playing bad guys and his new role in The Westies.

The American essayist and humorist David Sedaris on performing live.

Plus, music from Xuefei Yang, China’s first internationally recognized guitarist

Nikki Bedi reflects on these cultural highlights with critic Zing Tsjeng.

Presenter: Nikii Bedi

British-Argentinian actor Anya Taylor-Joy on playing a con artist in the new TV series, Lucky.

Nikki Bedi meets Portuguese musician Ana Lua Caiano to talk about her music, reinventing Portuguese traditions with electronica and rhythmic experimentation and critic Katie Puckrik joins Nikki to reflect on other cultural highlights of the week.

Supergirl! The Australian actor Milly Alcock on DC’s latest big screen revival.

American author Dave Eggers on his new novel about the art world, Contrapposto.

South Korean singer-songwriter Peggy Gou on becoming a superstar DJ.

Cuban artist Tania Bruguera talks about her conceptual and political work.

Plus, music from Algerian Tuareg band, Imarhan

(Photo: Actor Anya Taylor-Joy poses for photographers. She has long blonde hair and wears a black halterneck dress and is looking over her right shoulder, as photographers take photos in the background. Credit: Emma McIntyre/Getty Images)