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Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

Live magazine programme on the worlds of arts, literature, film, media and music

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Kirsty Lang

Ricky Wilson

Viv Groskop

Sebastian Barry

Cush Jumbo

Rebecca Armstrong

Front Row: Ricky Wilson; Muppets Most Wanted; Sebastian Barry; Cush Jumbo

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28/03/2014

Ricky Wilson; Muppets Most Wanted; Sebastian Barry; Cush Jumbo

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Ricky Wilson; Muppets Most Wanted; Sebastian Barry; Cush Jumbo

Arts news with Kirsty Lang, including a review of the new Muppets movie.

Ricky Wilson on his new album and The Voice; the new Muppets movie reviewed; Sebastian Barry on his latest novel set in 20th-century Ireland; Cush Jumbo on playing Mark Antony.

With Kirsty Lang

Ricky Wilson of Kaiser Chiefs, talks about the challenges of making their new album - Education, Education, Education and War - after the departure of their co-founding drummer, and also about his role as judge on BBC1's The Voice and the reservations he had about doing it initially.

Muppets Most Wanted is the latest film featuring Kermit, Miss Piggy and the gang, who this time fall prey to an evil mastermind who bears a striking resemblance to Kermit himself. Duped by tour manager Dominic Badguy - played by Ricky Gervais - the Muppets soon find themselves unwittingly taking part in a the crime of the century. Comedian Viv Groskop reviews.

Sebastian Barry is one of Ireland's leading writers. He talks about his new novel The Temporary Gentleman, which continues his story of 20th century Ireland told through the McNulty family of Sligo. Jack McNulty is a 'temporary gentleman', an Irishman whose commission in the British army in the Second World War was never permanent. Sebastian tells Kirsty about how Jack is based on his maternal grandfather, with whom he shared a bed as a child, listening to tales of his adventures in Africa, India and as a bomb disposal expert during the war.

To mark Radio 4's Character Invasion tomorrow - when fictional characters will be taking over the network - Front Row asked five of Britain's leading actors to talk about their experience of playing an iconic character. Tonight actress Cush Jumbo discusses the challenges of playing Mark Antony in an all-female production of Julius Caesar set in a women's prison.

Producer: Rebecca Armstrong.

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