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Sting, David Bowie's art collection, Mark Haddon, Ian McDiarmid and Chris Hannan

Sting disusses his new album, David Bowie's curator on the musician's art collection, Mark Haddon reads The Pilgrim's Progress, and Ian McDiarmid talks about playing Enoch Powell.

Sting discusses 57th & 9th, his first rock album in 13 years, the title being a reference to New York City, his adopted home for the last 35 years.

"Art was, seriously, the only thing I'd ever wanted to own." So said David Bowie, who gathered a huge and distinguished collection, particularly of post-war British painting. As an exhibition of the work opens at Sotheby's, ahead of its sale next month, Beth Greenacre, who was Bowie's curator, walks John Wilson around the collection and discusses what it reveals about him.

As part of the Βι¶ΉΤΌΕΔ's Love to Read campaign which celebrates the pleasures of reading, author Mark Haddon - best known for The Curious Incident of the Dog in the Night-Time - confesses to a classic book he's never read, and reads it especially for Front Row. His choice of classic book: John Bunyan's 1678 Christian allegory, The Pilgrim's Progress.

Enoch Powell's 1968 "Rivers of Blood" speech is at the heart of a new play that examines the shifting nature of identity. Playwright Chris Hannan and actor Ian McDiarmid discuss bringing Powell the man and Powell the politician to life in the premiere production of What Shadows at the Birmingham Repertory Theatre.

Presenter: John Wilson
Producer: Rebecca Armstrong.

Available now

30 minutes

Chapters

  • Daviid Bowie's art collection

    Duration: 06:58

  • Mark Haddon

    Duration: 05:44

  • Ian McDiarmi and Chris Hannan

    Duration: 06:26

  • Sting

    Duration: 08:41

Sting

Sting

new album, 57th & 9th, is released on 11 November 2016.

His latest single, I Can't StopΒ Thinking About You (Acoustic), is out now.

Images:

Main image above: Sting

Image to the left: John Wilson (Left) with Sting

David Bowie's art

David Bowie's art

is on exhibition at Sotheby's, London from 01 - 10 November 2016.Β  There will be a series of talks about Bowie and art on 05Β - 06 November, 2016, plus an all-night viewing on 04 November.

Image: David Bowie, Beautiful, Shattering, Slashing....

Image credit: Sotheby's/Gavin Evans

Mark Haddon

Mark Haddon

Image:

Ian McDiarmid, Chris Hannan

Ian McDiarmid, Chris Hannan

by Chris Hannan is at the Birmingham RepΒ until 12 November 2016.

Image: Ian McDiarmid as Enoch Powell in What Shadows.

Image credit: Ellie KurttzΒ 

Credits

Role Contributor
Presenter John Wilson
Interviewed Guest Sting
Interviewed Guest Beth Greenacre
Interviewed Guest Mark Haddon
Interviewed Guest Chris Hannan
Interviewed Guest Ian McDiarmid
Producer Rebecca Armstrong

Broadcast

  • Mon 31 Oct 2016 19:15

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