Front Row

Michael Fassbender was reportedly happy to be filmed completely naked in the film Shame, but compared with female nudity, male full-frontal shots are still rare on screen. What are the reasons for this disparity and what are the certification issues with representation of the male organ? The BBFC's David Austin and film critics Hannah McGill and Ryan Gilbey consider the long and the short of it.Chris Lang, the critically-acclaimed writer and creator of ITV's Unforgotten, talks about his latest crime drama Innocent, starring Hermione Norris and Lee Ingleby.Stuart Hall was a Jamaican-born cultural theorist, political activist and Marxist sociologist who arrived in Britain three years after the Empire Windrush in 1951 and was one of the founding figures of the school of thought that is now known as The Birmingham School of Cultural Studies. Gilane Tawadros and Professor Kurt Burling discuss what his memoir Familiar Stranger reveals about the man, as well as the impact his work has had on the way Britain's cultur

Neil Gaiman discusses the big-screen adaptation of his 2006 short story How To Talk To Girls At Parties. Directed by Hedwig and the Angry Inch director John Cameron Mitchell, the film tells the story of a teenage punk falling in love with an alien, and stars Nicole Kidman, Elle Fanning, Ruth Wilson and Matt Lucas.In our age of heightened awareness of racism, homophobia and sexism in culture, how easy is it to watch old movies with our children? Film historian Ian Christie and journalist Hadley Freeman discuss how to introduce favourite films from bygone eras to the next generation, without also passing on stereotypes of gender, sexuality and race. Film critic Jason Solomons joins us live from the Cannes Film Festival to give us his insights into what we should be looking out for this year.Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Hilary Dunn.

Ian McEwan discusses the process of adapting his novel On Chesil Beach for the big screen. Set in 1962, it tells the story of two young newlyweds spending their honeymoon preoccupied with - and terrified by - the forthcoming consummation of their marriage.Drew McOnie talks about directing and choreographing the first UK staging of Strictly Ballroom: The Musical, based on the much-loved 1992 Baz Luhrmann film that led to a resurgence of ballroom dancing in popular culture.A recent DCMS survey shows that over-65s are increasingly engaged in the arts. Two members of the Elders Theatre Company at the Royal Exchange in Manchester talk about how they not only go to more events since retiring but are actively participating in the arts. And David Cutler of the funding organisation the Baring Foundation and David Slater of arts company Entelechy discuss the benefits of an interest in the arts for older people. Presenter Stig Abell Producer Jerome Weatherald.

Norwich will soon be home to the new National Centre for Writing in the medieval Dragon Hall. Chris Gribble tells Kirsty Lang about the extraordinary building and the role of the Centre. Authors Sarah Perry and Sarah Hall describe the thriving literary culture of the city and Kirsty visits The Book Hive, one of the city's independent bookshops. She goes to the Norfolk and Norwich Millennium Library and to the University of East Anglia, home to the MA in Creative Writing that has Ian McEwan, Kazuo Ishiguro and Anne Enright among its famous graduates. There she meets tutor Rebecca Stott, author Imogen Hermes Gowar, whose novel The Mermaid and Mrs Hancock is shortlisted for the Women's Prize for Fiction, and poet and MA student Gboyega Abayomi-Odubanjo.

Graphic artist David Shrigley discusses his role as Guest Director of the Brighton Festival 2018, and his new book Fully Coherent Plan for a New and Better Society.Madeline Miller won the Orange Prize for Fiction with her debut The Song of Achilles, which told the story of a love affair between Achilles and Patroclus. Her latest novel continues the Greek theme with the story of the first witch in Western literature, Circe, daughter of Helios, who is scorned and rejected by her kin. She discusses what inspired her to take up her story.The Cannes film festival starts next week, but it's being boycotted by Netflix, one of the world's most powerful entertainment companies. Netflix has been accused of cultural imperialism and Cannes of living in the past. Boyd Hilton and Simon Usborne consider the significance of this turn of events.Presenter Kirsty Lang Producer Jerome Weatherald.

The Burning Chambers is the latest historical novel from bestselling author of Labyrinth and co-founder of the Women's Prize for Fiction, Kate Mosse. Set in sixteenth century Languedoc it is the first in a new quartet that covers three centuries of religious conflict. Kate Mosse explains the inspiration for the books and her fascination for medieval France.Kanye West is never far away from controversy and this time the US rapper has caused a public outcry with his comments about slavery. Jacqueline Springer and Katie Puckrik discuss Kanye's recent provocative remarks. The results of the Loewe Craft Prize are announced and Samira talks to the man behind it, fashion designer Jonathan Anderson, Deyan Sudjic, the director of the Design Museum which is exhibiting the entries, and the winner of the prize. Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Harry Parker.

In a BBC national poll Benjamin Zephaniah was voted the nation's third favourite poet of all times, after TS Eliot and John Donne, and the only living one in the top ten. Aged 60, the award winning playwright, novelist, activist and musician has published a memoir, The Life and Rhymes of Benjamin Zephaniah. He talks to John Wilson. Coronation Street has just revealed that the character, Aidan Connor, will take his own life next week. Over the years soaps generally have not shied away from dealing with such controversial issues but do they always get it right when including them? Kate Oates, the producer of Coronation Street, and Emma Bullimore, the television and film critic, discuss this type of storyline.The award- winning American stand-up comedian and actress Amy Schumer stars in a new film called "I Feel Pretty". Film and TV critic, Emma Bullimore, discusses the film and the appeal of Amy Schumer.A lost novel by Romanian author Mircea Eliade was rediscovered in an attic and has just been published in Eng

Shape of Light: 100 Years of Photography and Abstract Art, a new exhibition at Tate Modern, explores the intertwined stories of the two art forms from the early photographic experiments to the digital innovations of the 21st century. The two curators discuss the relationship between artists, including Jackson Pollock, Georges Braque and Bridget Riley, and photographers, including Man Ray and Edward Weston.Stephen Deuchar, chair of the judging panel for the Art Fund Museum of the Year prize, reveals the shortlist for this year's award. Oh My God, What a Complete Aisling was the bestselling novel of 2017 in Ireland, beating David Walliams to the coveted Christmas number one slot. The main character, Aisling, started life as a fake Facebook account created by two friends, Emer McLysaght and Sarah Breen. They discuss bringing their surprise hit novel to the UK. The chief economist at the Bank of England has said that popular trends in streaming music can be as important indicators of upcoming consumer confidence

Plan B - the singer, director and actor, aka Ben Drew - releases his fourth studio album this week. Plan B discusses Heaven Before All Hell Breaks Loose, featuring songs that reflect how his life has changed since his last album six years ago. From Picasso to Grayson Perry, design critic Corinne Julius and the Royal Academy of Art's commercial director Jo Prosser discuss the history and trends in artists' work reproduced on homewares.We hear about a new exhibition of Chinese art exploring the portrayal of women - as wives, mothers, workers, and students - over the past 100 years, which opens tomorrow at Oxford's Ashmolean Museum.Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Julian May.

Avengers: Infinity War is released in cinemas today. Fans have been counting the days until the film's release, but what does this ambitious high-budget offering reveal about the state of the hugely successful Marvel Cinematic Universe? Mik Scarlet and Larushka Ivan-Zadeh consider the bigger picture.At a time when many libraries across the UK are facing an uncertain future, Salley Vickers has gone back to the 1950s for her new novel The Librarian. Salley, and Peter Gaw who runs Nottinghamshire's libraries, consider how the role of the library has changed and adapted to a modern world, and the challenge they face today. Two Welsh musicians - singer Kizzy Crawford and pianist and composer Gwilym Simcock - perform from their new album Cân Yr Adar, or Birdsong. They talk about their collaboration, which also involves Sinfonia Cymru, and how they were inspired by the landscape and wildlife of Carngafallt, the nature reserve in mid-Wales, known as the Celtic rainforest. Presenter Stig Abell Producer Jerome Weathera

Janelle Monáe, the American singer and actress, discusses her new album Dirty Computer, working with Prince, and her roles in recent films Hidden Figures and Moonlight. Controversialist Katie Hopkins has said that she might be murdered for her outspoken views. A new musical based on this premise, explores imagined events in the aftermath of her death. The Assassination of Katie Hopkins considers the boundaries of liberal tolerance and the pervasive power of social media. We talk to the show's writer, Chris Bush and the composer, Matt Winkworth Hopkins. This year's contenders for the Turner Prize have been announced. Art critic Jonathan Jones, who was a judge for the prize in 2009, assesses the work of the four shortlisted artists in what might turn out to be a controversial year for the prize.Presenter: Samira Ahmed Producer: Hannah Robins(Main Image: Janelle Monáe Credit: Juco).

Rodin and the art of ancient Greece is a new exhibition at the British Museum which highlights the influence the Greek Parthenon sculptures had on the French artist on his first visit to the museum in 1881. The show's curators, Ian Jenkins and Celeste Farge, discuss the relationship between Auguste Rodin's works, including The Kiss and The Thinker, and Pheidias's Elgin Marbles. One of Britain's leading young composers Mark Simpson, himself a winner of the BBC Young Musician of the Year Award, has written a cello concerto for his friend, Leonard Elschenbroich. Mark and Leonard reveal the collaborative process involved in its composition and Leonard performs an extract live in the studio.Novelist Curtis Sittenfeld, famous for her novels American Wife and Eligible, talks to John Wilson about her first collection of short stories, You Think It, I'll Say It. The book, nominated for the Sunday Times EFG Short Story Award, includes a story told from the point of view of Hillary Clinton as she runs for the Democrat n

Today the first statue of a woman in Parliament Square in London was unveiled. Millicent Fawcett, the suffragist who fought for women's right to vote in the early 20th century, joins 11 male figures including Sir Winston Churchill, Nelson Mandela and Mahatma Gandi. Art critic Estelle Lovatt gives her verdict on the artwork.We talk to dramatist Joe Penhall, writer of the award-winning The Kinks musical Sunny Afternoon and hit play Blue/Orange, about his new work Mood Music, about a feuding singer and music producer.Theatre and show effect lighting could be seriously affected by new EU regulations intending to make lighting and other electrical goods more energy efficient. Lighting designers Paule Constable and Patrick Woodroffe explain how the entertainment industry would be affected if the new proposals, which are currently in consultation, were to be implemented. This year marks the 300 anniversary of Thomas Chippendale, arguably the greatest and certainly the most well-known furniture maker in the world. Fr

The shortlist for the Women's Prize for Fiction 2018 has been announced today, critics Alex Clark and Toby Lichtig comment on the six novels that made it through from the longlist of 16. Country band The Shires perform live and discuss their new album, Accidentally on Purpose, working with Ed Sheeran and why country music is having a resurgence in popularity in the UK.Sean O'Brien is a man of letters, writing essays, plays and novels; as well as his celebrated poetry. He talks about and reads from Europa, his latest collection - and his ninth. The tenet is that Europe is not a place we can choose to leave and the poems explore how our culture, language, history and identity are inextricably entwined with mainland Europe. Presenter : Samira Ahmed Producer : Dymphna Flynn.

Romola Garai is known for her roles in films such as Dirty Dancing 2: Havana Nights, and in The Hours, Emma and The Miniaturist on television. For her latest role she's on stage in Ella Hickson's new play, The Writer. Garai discusses playing the writer, who battles patriarchy and capitalism in her determination to create a pure art that will change the world. The South African choral group Ladysmith Black Mambazo have been singing and touring for over 50 years. On the eve of their performance in the Queen's 92nd birthday concert and subsequent UK tour they perform live for Front Row.Guy Gunaratne's debut novel, In Our Mad And Furious City, focuses on the lives of five inhabitants of a London Council Estate and explores themes of violence, extremism, and division in society over a 48 hour period. Guy joins Kirsty to discuss.

When the Empire Windrush docked, the first contribution of the arrivals from the Caribbean was cultural - Lord Kitchener singing his calypso "London is the Place for Me". Stig Abell talks to publisher Sharmaine Lovegrove and calypsonian Alexander D Great about the artistic contribution of the Windrush Generation, and their offspring. Alexander sings 'After the Windrush', a new calypso written especially for Front Row.Comedian David Walliams pays tribute to his friend the television presenter Dale Winton who has died. Known for his warmth and unpretentious style he presented many programmes including Supermarket Sweep, Pet Win Prizes and In It To Win It. As the BBC Proms 2018 season is announced, music critic Alexandra Coghlan assesses this year's offerings.Imtiaz Dharker is an interesting mixture, she grew up as a Muslim Calvinist in a Lahori household - in Glasgow. So she has plenty to draw on as a poet. She talks about and reads from her new collection 'Luck is the Hook'. Her poems range widely and intrigui

Tina Turner has been closely involved with Tina, the musical which tells the story of her tempestuous life. It has just opened and Front Row has a review. The actor Nicola Walker discusses her role in Abi Morgan's new television drama series about divorce lawyers, The Split, and some of her other roles.A report was published last week looking at booking accessible tickets for people with disabilities, for music and entertainment venues. Samira Ahmed speaks to Claire Griffin from the Roundhouse in London and Richard Howle from the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham - both venues praised in the report for their progress in becoming accessible venues. Mik Scarlet, Access and Inclusion Advisor and a regular gig goer himself, joins the conversation to discuss if the report reflect his own experience and to consider what further improvements need to be made to the industry as a whole.The cherry trees are blooming here and in Japan, where the blossom prompts celebration - drinking, picnics, poetry reading and

Following last night's broadcast of The Queen's Green Planet on ITV, which features the Queen in intimate conversation with Sir David Attenborough, we talk to the documentary's director Jane Treays about working with the Queen and look back over the history of royal TV projects with critic Chris Dunkley.Luke Evans has featured in many Hollywood films including The Girl on the Train, Fast & Furious, the Hobbit franchise and last year as Gaston in Disney's live-action remake of Beauty and the Beast. The Welsh actor discusses his new Netflix series The Alienist, in which he plays a newspaper illustrator who teams up with a criminal psychologist to catch a serial killer in 1890s New York. Composer Sir James MacMillan's choral work Stabat Mater will make history on 22 April, when it becomes the first work to be video-streamed live from the Sistine Chapel in the Vatican. It will be performed by The Sixteen and Britten Sinfonia under conductor Harry Christophers. MacMillan and Christophers discuss the challenges

Mike Newell discusses his film The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society, which stars Lily James as a writer uncovering a mystery from World War II on the Channel island. The director looks back at his career which includes Four Weddings and a Funeral, Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire and Donnie Brasco.Joanna Walsh is one of the UK's leading experimental writers. She discusses her new novel, Break.up about a nameless woman recovering from a relationship with a man which was mainly conducted online. Break.up also challenges the borders between fiction and non-fiction, as it ranges into travelogue, essays on music, boredom, marriage and art.Film critic Hannah McGill examines the cultural legacy of the late Czech filmmaker Miloš Forman, known primarily for his two Oscar-winning masterpieces One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest and Amadeus.Music writer Ben Wardle attempts to prove that 1978 was the greatest and most significant year in the history of pop music - think Kate Bush, Blondie, The Village People,

Sharlene Teo on her debut novel Ponti, an account of teenage friendship and fraught mother/daughter relationships set in a sweltering Singapore, that's been called remarkable by Ian McEwan. Is Coronation Street the most feminist soap on television? Emma Bullimore makes the case.Radio 4 poet-in-residence Alice Oswald and artist William Tillyer discuss their collaboration Nobody. Both a book and an exhibition, it fuses the written word with watercolour. They talk about the nature of collaboration, taking inspiration from the Odyssey and learning from each other's work.And as 53 doors that used to lead to rooms occupied by legends such as Andy Warhol, Janis Joplin and Jack Kerouac at New York's Chelsea Hotel are auctioned off, writer Michael Carlson examines the cultural significance of the long-term residence for generations of singers, writers and bohemians.Presenter: Stig Abell Producer: Sarah Johnson.