Front Row

Eleanor Bron will be 80 on Wednesday. She is still working - she will be in Scottish Opera's production of Ariadne auf Naxos this year. Talking to Samira Ahmed she looks back over her long career, from the satire boom with Peter Cook and Dudley Moore, through working with The Beatles in Help and roles in classical theatre such as in The Duchess of Malfi. The Great Wave at the National Theatre explores the abduction in the 1970s of Japanese citizens by North Korea. A look at these kidnappings through the eyes of one fictionalised family opens up questions of identity and belonging. Samira talks to the playwright Francis Turnly and the director Indhu Rubasingham about this little known aspect of far eastern politics .Following the announcement of the death of Sir Ken Dodd, Matthew Sweet discusses the role and significance of this jester who brought the comedic techniques of variety to television, and had extraordinary mass appeal. Presenter: Samira AhmedProducer: Julian May.