Front Row - 28/01/2009

Presented by Mark Lawson. Mark speaks to Irish playwright and novelist Sebastian Barry, author of The Secret Scripture and winner of the Costa Book of the Year award. Mrs Affleck is the title of Samuel Adamson's new play on at the National Theatre in London. Claire Skinner stars in a passionate tale of obssessive love, set in 1950s England, which was inspired by Ibsen's Little Eyolf. Sos Eltis reviews the play, which is directed by the co-creator of War Horse, Marianne Elliott. London-based thriller writer Dreda Say Mitchell reviews two new crime thrillers on TV, Moses Jones, written by playwright Joe Penhall, follows the wave of violence triggered by the discovery of a bizarrely-mutilated boy in the Thames. Whitechapel is also set in contemporary London; where the police are hunting a killer carrying out copycat Jack the Ripper murders. Arts Council England has decided today not to continue annual funding for The Public, West Bromwich's troubled arts centre. Arts Council Chief Executive Alan Davey explains the decision and The Public's Project Director David Clarke responds.