Front Row - 30/04/2008

Presented by Mark Lawson. Including: Benedict Cumberbatch has starred on screen as Stephen Hawking and William Pitt. He is now in a new drama at London's Royal Court Theatre. In Martin Crimp's The City, four people appear on stage - a man who loses his job, his wife who works as a translator, a neighbour who works as a nurse, and a child who recites rude limericks. Mark tries to unravel the meaning of the play with writer and critic Bidisha. Dr Bahaa Mayar, advisor to the Iraq Minister of Tourism and Antiquities, talks about his country's cultural heritage in the current situation and explains why he thinks more should be done by the international community to safeguard treasures which have worldwide importance. Publishers have agreed from this autumn that most book titles for the young will be stamped with a cinema-style age recommendation. Mark is joined by Elaine McQuade, Chair of the Children’s Book Group at the Publishing Association, and children’s author Theresa Breslin Mark talks to Sheila Hancock, who is currently rehearsing for a new production of Harold Pinter's play The Birthday Party, which celebrates its 50th anniversary at The Lyric Hammersmith Theatre in London this month.