The Arts Hour

Global superstar Madonna talks about her new album, Confessions II and her relationship with dance Nikki Bedi meets Italian Director Francesco Sossai to discuss Italian masculinity in his film, The Last One for the Road and critic Bidisha joins Nikki to reflect on other cultural highlights of the week: Australian dancer and choreographer Meryl Tankard on reviving a 1978 Pina Bausch dance piece wit...

Nikki Bedi speaks to fresh new voice in Indian cinema, the director Rohan Kanawade, about his groundbreaking Cactus Pears (Sabar Bonda). The first Marathi-language film to premiere at the Sundance Festival, it was also the first drama from India to win an International Grand Jury Prize. Kanawade reflects on growing up in a Mumbai slum with parents who accepted his sexuality, and how he drew on the...

French filmmaker Rebecca Zlotowski tells Nikki Bedi about directing Oscar winning actor Jodie Foster in Vie Privée (A Private Life), her first starring role in a French language filmNikki is joined by critic Rhianna Dhillon to reflect on the top cultural talking points of the week:American director Andrew Stanton and actor Greta Lee on the making of of Toy Story 5, The Toys Are Back In Town Britis...

Nikki Bedi speaks to Iranian-born director Tina Gharavi about her new film Virginia Woolf’s Night & Day, starring Haley Bennett and Lily AllenZing Tsjeng joins as cultural critic to give her take on some of the highlights of the week:Kiefer Sutherland on his career playing bad guys, from Stand by Me to the genre-defining series 24.Adam Lambert on following in the footsteps of Freddie Mercury a...

Nikki Bedi speaks to the internationally acclaimed French-Moroccan author of Lullaby about the final part of her historical family trilogy, I’ll Take The FireSteven Spielberg remembers falling in love with space and how it has inspired Disclosure Day, his new conspiracy thrillerActor Michael Fassbender shares the advice he was given by undercover agents for spy series The AgencyAnd with her latest...

British actor Kristin Scott Thomas, star of the English Patient and Four Weddings and a Funeral, reveals the personal story behind her directorial debut film, My Mother’s Wedding. Nikki Bedi is joined by critic Larushka Ivan-Zadeh to discuss My Mother’s Wedding and other cultural highlights of the week Twenty-year-old American you tube star Kane Parsons on Backrooms, the feature film version of hi...

Nikki Bedi meets international bestselling author Tayari Jones whose award-winning novel ‘An American Marriage’ was chosen by Oprah Winfrey for her Book Club and was championed by former US President Barack Obama. As an important contemporary voice in American fiction, Tayari is celebrated for writing about race, class, and life in the American South, all of which feature in her latest novel Kin....

Sandra Oh, star of Killing Eve and Grey’s Anatomy talks about making her UK theatre debut, in Martin Crimp’s update of Moliere’s seventeenth century play, The Misanthrope Better Call Saul star Bob Odenkirk explains his move from comedy to action movies Italian director Damiano Michieletto sheds light on Italian composer Vivaldi, in his film Primavera American avant-garde artist & musician Laur...

Nikki Bedi speaks to the Spanish director of Romeria, Carla Simon. Plus Zakia Sewell – broadcaster and author of new book Finding Albion – joins to discuss the week’s cultural highlights:American country music star Kacey Musgraves on her new albumFilmmaker Warwick Thornton talks about the relationships between Aboriginal Australians and Chinese labourersIndian-born novelist Amitav Ghosh shares his...

Nikki Bedi talks to Oscar winning Mexican director Alejandro González Iñárritu about his career and discusses the week’s cultural highlights with cultural critic Leila Latif: The American writer and actor Lena Dunham answers the question; will she bring back her groundbreaking hit TV series Girls? Moroccan filmmaker Maryam Touzani talks about her latest movie Calle MalagaDanish novelist Solvej Bal...

Nikki Bedi talks to Jamaican reggae artist Protoje about his new album, The Art of Acceptance, and discusses the week’s cultural highlights with cultural critic Rhianna DhillonMeryl Streep and film director David Frankel talk about making The Devil Wears Prada 2Former British Boxer Tony Bellew on acting in the Creed moviesBleachers frontman Jack Antonoff tells the story behind his latest single, T...

Nikki Bedi speaks to comedian and actor Sindhu Vee about her new stand-up show Swanky. They are joined by William Lee Adams to discuss the week's cultural talking points:Kristoffer Borgli, Norwegian director of The Drama, starring Zendaya and Robert PattinsonActor Gugu Mbatha-Raw on her role in new thriller FuzeDerry Girls creator Lisa McGee on her new Netflix series How to Get to Heaven From Belf...

Nikki Bedi talks to Croatian Actor Slavko Sobin about his film, Surviving Earth, and discusses the week's cultural highlights with critic Zing TsjengBritish singer songwriter Harry Styles on his new album, Kiss All The Time. Disco Occasionally Australian Oscar-winning actor Cate Blanchett on working with the visionary director, Jim JarmuschBrazilian Montenegrin writer Monika Radojevic on telling h...

Nikki Bedi talks to Nigerian British film-maker Olive Nwosu about her debut feature, Lady, and discusses this week’s cultural highlights with cultural critic Bidisha. Emmy Award-winning American actor Noah Wyle on TV medical drama, The Pitt. Argentinian film-maker and opera director Penny Woolcock on growing up in Buenos AiresChilean Belgian director Felipe Bustos Sierra on his documentary film, E...

Nikki Bedi talks to Norwegian crime writer Jo Nesbo about his Netflix series, Jo Nesbo’s Detective Hole, and discusses the week’s cultural highlights with cultural critic Murtada Elfadl: American actor and filmmaker Maggie Gyllenhaal talks about breathing new life into the Frankenstein story with her movie, The Bride! Irish novelist Colm Tóibín reveals the art of Irish story telling Oscar winner G...

Nikki Bedi is joined by critic Arifa Akbar to discuss cultural highlights of the week:Filmmaker Raoul Peck, Haiti’s former Minister of Culture talks about his new documentary exploring the enduring relevance of writer George Orwell, 2 + 2 = 5Musicians Vanessa Williams and Joshua Idehen speak about their Catholic upbringings. Scottish actor James McAvoy discusses his directorial debut, California S...

Nikki Bedi is joined by critic Hanna Flint to discuss cultural highlights of the week: Canadian actor and Hollywood star Ryan Gosling on his role as a reluctant astronaut in the sci-fi adventure movie, Project Hail Mary. British artist Dame Tracey Emin, famous for her raw, confessional works... talks about her retrospective exhibition, A Second Life and why she is more relevant today, than ever. C...

Nikki Bedi introduces the Arts Hour podcast. Your weekly cultural companion, featuring guests and opinions on what's happening in art, theatre, film, TV, music and more. Find us at bbc.com or wherever you get your podcasts. EXCLUSIVE MEDIA & BTS ACCESS The unedited celebrity interview clips, high-resolution photo gallery, and the behind-the-scenes footage mentioned in this arts report are now...