Highs, lows and naked jet-skiers at the Venice Biennale episode artwork

EPISODE · May 11, 2026 · 42 MIN

Highs, lows and naked jet-skiers at the Venice Biennale

from Front Row · host BBC Radio 4

Critics Ben Luke and Aviva Dautch bring us all the news from The Venice Biennale. Following the death of the great Shakespearean actor Michael Pennington, we speak to former RSC Director Gregory Doran about his impact on the stage. A new small exhibition Elizabeth I: Queen and Court Is running in London. It includes rarely seen portraits of The Virgin Queen that are normally held in private collections. Historians Tracy Borman and Siobhan Clarke join Tom to talk about the crossover between portraits and propaganda for 16th century monarchs Hilary Mantel's controversial 2015 short story, The Assassination of Margaret Thatcher, has been adapted for stage at the Liverpool Everyman Theatre. We speak to playwright Alexandra Wood about why she chose to re-tell this story now.Presenter: Tom Sutcliffe

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Highs, lows and naked jet-skiers at the Venice Biennale

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