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Front Row: Chrissie Hynde, The Theatre of Parliament, Arts Minister Rebecca Pow

04/09/2019

Chrissie Hynde, The Theatre of Parliament, Arts Minister Rebecca Pow

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Chrissie Hynde, The Theatre of Parliament, Arts Minister Rebecca Pow

Events last night in the House of Commons as theatre, and Chrissie Hynde sings jazz.

The proceedings of the House of Commons last night were dramatic. Front Row looks at them as theatre. Chrissie Hynde of The Pretenders on singing jazz on her new album.

Proceedings in the House of Commons yesterday drew an unusual degree of public attention, with set pieces from Boris Johnson (interrupted by the defection of one of his MPs, crossing the floor to join the Liberal Democrats), the Leader of the House Jacob Rees-Mogg lying supine, humour from Kenneth Clarke and a range of colourful interventions from Mr Speaker, it represents one of the most colourful and dramatic days in the Commons in recent memory. Newsnight Culture Correspondent Stephen Smith and Lyn Gardner of The Stage newspaper join Samira to bring an artistically critical eye to the parliamentary theatrics. 

The Minister for Arts, Heritage and Tourism, Rebecca Pow, has put temporary export bars on five works of art up for sale this summer, including paintings by Turner and Monet, and a Victorian crab sculpture. We speak to the Minister about why they don’t want these works sold abroad and ask what the Conservatives are doing to protect the arts amid the Brexit high drama in the House of Commons this week.

Chrissie Hynde, singer with rock band The Pretenders, on her new album which is all covers of songs by people such as Hoagy Carmichael, John Coltrane and Charlie Mingus. But, she insists to Samira,  Valve Bone Woe is not a jazz album.

Presenter: Samira Ahmed
Producer: Julian May

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