Front Row Folgen

John Hurt as Artist is a new exhibition in Norfolk which reveals a less well-known side of the actor who died last year. Sir John Hurt's widow Anwen discusses the mainly figurative paintings and drawings which mostly relate to the actor's off-screen life, but also include self-portraits of him in prosthetic make-up for his role as John Merrick in The Elephant Man from 1980. Ian McKellen is playing King Lear in the West End and recently Anthony Hopkins played him on television. Accompanying Lear on his bleak and tragic journey is his Fool. Karl Johnson, Fool to Anthony Hopkins' Lear, and Lloyd Hutchinson, McKellen's Fool, discuss the way they approach this enigmatic figure.Recently we've been offering inspiration on holiday reading to help you choose which books to cram into your suitcase. Today New Statesman book critic Sarah Ditum concludes the series with a set of recommendations for people holidaying closer to home, in the UK and Ireland. Presenter Kirsty Lang Producer Jerome Weatherald.Main image: Sir John Hurt printmaking. Credit: Andi Sapey

American footballer-turned-opera star Morris Robinson is returning to the Proms this weekend to perform as the bass soloist in Mahler's epic Symphony of a Thousand. He sings live and discusses his extraordinary move from the football stadium to the opera house. Sitting around of an evening with friends, a bottle of wine, discussing a good book - that's the cosy image of the Book Club. But the Richard and Judy Book Club is now exclusive to WH Smith, Fern Britten's is partnered with Tesco and Harper Collins, and there's even one called the Specsavers Zoe Ball Book Club. Amanda Ross, the television producer who invented the Richard and Judy Book Club, Guardian books correspondent Danuta Kean and journalist and book editor Sarah Shaffi discuss whether the cosy is turning commercial.Mission Impossible returns to our screens next week with a sixth instalment of the classic franchise. For 22 years the series has captivated audiences with its winning combination of spy games, double - and triple - crosses, hair-raising stunts and stunning set pieces in locations all around the world. Real life action-figure Tom Cruise is back, and at 56 years old is still hurling himself off buildings and dangling out of airborne helicopters. But the real mission (should they choose to accept it...) is for the film makers; keeping the film fresh. Film writer Hannah Woodhead has seen Mission Impossible - Fallout and gives her verdict.Presenter: Gaylene Gould Producer: Julian May.

The Lehman Trilogy at the National Theatre is an epic new play directed by Sam Mendes, which tells the story of the American banking dynasty from its humble beginnings in Alabama to its bankruptcy in the 2008 crash. John talks to Simon Russell Beale, Adam Godley and Ben Miles, who play the founding Lehman brothers and many other characters too. As the 100th Now That's What I Call Music album is released, John discusses the extraordinary success of the hits compilation series and examines its cultural impact with Now curator Pete Duckworth and music critic Katie Puckrik. Poet Zaffar Kunial's father is Kashmiri, his mother's ancestors lived in Orkney, and he was born in Birmingham, and, as he tells John Wilson, his poetry bridges these worlds and their languages. Zaffar's debut collection Us is published by Faber & Faber, which he describes as like being signed by Manchester United. Presenter: John Wilson Producer: Timothy ProsserMain image - (L-R) Simon Russell Beale, Ben Miles and Adam Godley in The Lehman Trilogy. Photo by Mark Douet.