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Equus
Harry Potter, or rather Daniel Radcliffe, discards his wand to star in Thea Sharrock’s new production of Peter Shaffer’s play, Equus.Teenagers generally mark their transition from childhood to maturity by shouting a lot, smoking, and getting to grips with the opposite sex, and Radcliffe does all three in his role as young stable boy who blinds six horses and is taken for treatment to psychiatrist, Richard Griffiths. First performed in 1973 it’s a work which reflects the then fashionable theories of the psychiatrist R D Laing – exploring the idea that normality might be more pathological than madness.

Equus is at the Gielgud Theatre in London

The Illusionist
Neil Berger’s film The Illusionist is set in turn of the century Vienna – where a stage magician called Eisenham has become the toast of the city because of his astonishing illusions. The film stars Ed Norton as Eisenheim the magician, and Rufus Sewell as Crown Prince Leopold.

Guest Choice: The Wilton Diptych
Chosen by Bidisha, The Wilton Diptych was painted as a portable altarpiece for the private devotion of King Richard II and is thought to be dated 1395-9.

The Wilton Diptych sits in the medieval wing of the National Gallery in London

The Fiery World
Peter Ackroyd’s first ever play for radio, The Fiery World is about William Blake – engraver, poet and emancipator of the English imagination. Set in 1805, it takes as its core the most dramatic event in Blake’s life – the fact that he was accused and tried for sedition.

Burning Bright
Tracey Chevalier’s latest novel, Burning Bright, is set in eighteenth century London, and is also about William Blake. It tells the story of the friendship between Jem, a naive country boy, and Maggie, a streetwise Londoner. Their friendship takes a dramatic turn when they meet their neighbour, William Blake…