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Front Row

James Bolam on Rodney Bewes, Gilbert & George, Marnie the opera

Duration: 30 minutes

First broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 FMLatest broadcast: on BBC Radio 4 LW

Available for over a year

Yesterday saw the announcement of the death Rodney Bewes, the actor most fondly remembered playing the aspirational Bob in the BBC sitcom The Likely Lads. His co-star from the series James Bolam talks about working with Bewes in one of sitcom's most famous double-acts and the supposed feud between the two.

As Gilbert & George celebrate 50 years of living and working together, Kirsty visits them at their Spitalfields home and studio to discuss their career, a new exhibition called The Beard Pictures and a new book, What is Gilbert & George?

Marnie, the book by Winston Graham that inspired Hitchcock's thriller of the same name, has now inspired composer and opera wunderkind Nico Muhly to create his third opera, also called Marnie. Music critic Alexandra Coghlan attended its world premiere at English National Opera and reviews.

Plus we ask music critic Norman Lebrecht to discuss whether opera has become a derivative art form, and we pay tribute to Russian opera bass-baritone, Dmitri Hvorostovsky, who has died at the age of 55.

Presenter: Kirsty Lang
Producer: Julian May. Show less

Contributors

Presenter:
Kirsty Lang
Interviewed Guest:
James Bolam
Interviewed Guest:
Gilbert Proesch
Interviewed Guest:
George Passmore
Interviewed Guest:
Alexandra Coghlan
Interviewed Guest:
Norman Lebrecht
Producer:
Julian May

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