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Front Row: Downton Abbey, Alexei Sayle, National Short Story Award - Jo Lloyd, Istanbul Biennial

13/09/2019

Downton Abbey, Alexei Sayle, National Short Story Award - Jo Lloyd, Istanbul Biennial

BBC Radio 4 - Front Row, Downton Abbey, Alexei Sayle, National Short Story Award - Jo Lloyd, Istanbul Biennial

What happens when Downton Abbey goes from small to big screen and the king comes to stay?

What happens when Downton Abbey goes from small to big screen and the king comes to stay? Why all those sub-plots? And the allure of class distinctions Sarah Crompton reviews.

Downton Abbey hits the big screen this week as the Crawleys host the none other than King George V himself in a new film edition of the hit television show.  Critic Sarah Crompton considers if it’s a success.

Comedian Alexei Sayle discusses the return of his Radio 4 comedy series Alexei Sayle’s Imaginary Sandwich Bar, a mixture of stand-up, memoir and philosophy.

The 16th Istanbul Biennial, subtitled this year ‘The Seventh Continent’, is about to open its doors to the public. Critic Louisa Buck has been visiting the city and reports on some of the 220 artworks by 56 artists and artist collectives, and the importance of the subtitle – a name given by the scientific community to the massive accumulation of waste floating in our oceans. 

Jo Lloyd tells Stig Abell about her story, The Invisible, that has reached the National Short Story Award shortlist. It's set in rural Wales in the 18th century where Martha can see a wealthy family living in a mansion nearby. But no one else can. 

Presenter: Stig Abell
Producer: Julian May

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Downton Abbey, Alexei Sayle, National Short Story Award - Jo Lloyd, Istanbul Biennial

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