Front Row

Presented by Mark Lawson. With the news of the death of American novelist John Updike, Front Row hears from writers William Boyd and Elaine Showalter and from John Updike himself talking to Mark in October 2008 in New York. Architect and campaigner George Ferguson reviews Andrea Palladio: His Life and Legacy, an exhibition of the sixteenth-century Italian architect's work showing at the Royal Academy in London. East London-born actor Eddie Marsan has the leading role in the comedy film Faintheart, which revolves around one man who takes his battle re-enactment group a little too seriously for his family's comfort. Eddie talks to Mark about being a working-class actor, the importance of versatility and improvising with Mike Leigh.