Original version

BBC Radio 4 LW

Front Row

Magazines & Reviews

Factual: Arts, Culture & the Media

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

BBC Radio 4 FM

Kirsty Lang

Sean Foley

Kate Whitley

Karen Krizanovich

Sonia Friedman

David Babani

Rebecca Armstrong

Front Row: Sean Foley directs The Miser, Kate Whitley sets Malala's speech to music, Sonia Friedman and David Babani

Sean Foley directs The Miser, Kate Whitely sets Malala's speech to music

06/03/2017

Sean Foley directs The Miser, Kate Whitley sets Malala's speech to music, Sonia Friedman and David Babani

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Sean Foley directs The Miser, Kate Whitley sets Malala's speech to music, Sonia Friedman and David Babani

Sean Foley directs Moliere, Malala's UN speech as a choral piece.

Sean Foley on directing Moliere's classic comedy The Miser, Kate Whitley on setting Malala's UN speech to music, Sonia Friedman and David Babani, women in Paul Verhoeven films.

Olivier award-winning writer and director behind The Play What I Wrote, The Painkiller and I Can't Sing! The X-Factor The Musical, Sean Foley is serious about comedy. He tells Kirsty why he's brought Moliere to the West End in his new version of The Miser,with a cast of comic heavyweights including Griff Rhys Jones and Lee Mack in his theatrical debut.

Controversial new film Elle is a psychological thriller about the fall out after a successful business woman suffers a violent rape in her own home, and is described by its star Isabelle Huppert as 'post-feminist'. Elle is the first feature film in a decade from director Paul Verhoeven known for titles such as Basic Instinct and Showgirls. To discuss the director's complex depiction of women in his films, Kirsty is joined by journalist Karen Krizanovich. 

As the Olivier Awards nominations are announced, Kirsty speaks to Sonia Friedman whose productions have received a record breaking 31, and to David Babani, artistic director of the self funding Menier Chocolate Factory, who's received 9.

Composer Kate Whitley has set Malala Yousafzai's 2013 UN speech to music for a new BBC Radio 3 commission. Speak Out uses extracts from Malala's speech about every girl's right to an education and will be premiered by the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales on 8th March and broadcast on BBC Radio 3 the same evening. Kate Whitley explains the significance of this commission and about her involvement with the Multi-Story Orchestra which brings classical music to unexpected places. 

Presenter: Kirsty Lang 
Producer: Rebecca Armstrong.

BBC Radio 4

Intelligent speech, the most insightful journalism, the wittiest comedy, the most fascinating features and the most compelling drama and readings anywhere in UK radio.

Accessibility links

Programme Index

Front Row

Sean Foley directs The Miser, Kate Whitley sets Malala's speech to music, Sonia Friedman and David Babani

Contributors

Genres

Formats

Brand

BBC Radio 4 LW

About BBC Radio 4