Loose Ends

Stuart Maconie is joined by Nigel Harman, best known for playing lovable rogue Dennis Rickman in Eastenders, he's also much in demand as a panto villian. Trained in musical theatre, he also started in Shrek the Musical and his latest stage role is playing Bruce Bechdel in a musical adaptation of Alison Bechdel's memoir 'Fun Home' at the Royal Exchange Theatre in Manchester. Daliso Chaponda describes himself as a 'comedian, writer and antisocial commentator' and has been touring the country with his latest show Topical Storm. A regular on Radio 4, Daliso tackles not the actual news, but look at news itself. Thriller writer Nikki Smith began her career in finance, and only turned to writing in 2017. Since then she's more than made up for lost time, publishing five best selling books and she's just about to publish book number six, 'The Last Place You Look'.
Music is from Liana Flores who had a viral hit with Rises The Moon in 2022 and has since released her debut album and toured round the world and Ibibio Sound Machine
Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Jessica Treen

Adrian Lester on the art of simultaneously sword-fighting while reciting poetry in his starring role in the RSC's acclaimed Cyrano de Bergerac.
Alexandra Burke pays tribute to Chaka Khan in her new show I'm Every Woman and sings a beautiful Loose Ends special version of Ain't Nobody.
Sir Grayson Perry is putting the fun into dysfunctional with a comedy musical about his life, he describes it as the "most expensive therapy ever".
Kathy Lette's new novel explores what happens when the sisterhood goes sour and how to put it right.
Plus musical comedy from Katie Norris's Edinburgh-bound show Mother Succubus.
Presenter Clive Anderson
Producer Olive Clancy
Assisstant producer Sam Nixon
Technical Producers Gayl Gordon and Dave O'Neill
Production Coordinator Pete Liggins

Harry Shearer is a comedy legend. He’s the voice of Mr Burns in the Simpsons (and many other characters), he’s Derek Smalls in Spinal Tap, and he’s over here with a brand new musical about J Edgar Hoover. Bella Hull first performed stand up a decade ago at the age of 17. In her new show ‘Mad Cow Disease’ she looks back on her decade in comedy. She also spills secrets from the writing room of Saturday Night Live UK. Best Selling novelist Joanna Cannon’s latest book is ‘An Unlikely Visitor’, the story of recently widowed Margaret, who is finally facing up to her past. And there’s music from Gina Birch whose band The Raincoats are a cult favourite. She performs from her latest solo album, ‘Trouble’ and we're also joined by Gabriella Cilmi whose song 'Sweet About Me' was a massive global hit. She performs new material and tells us about meeting her hero, Robert Plant.
Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Jessica Treen

Stuart Maconie sets up camp at Borders Book Festival in the Scottish Borders.
Comedian Daniel Sloss continues his world domination with his latest show Bitter which is helping him tick off 60 different countries.
She perhaps can't claim 60, but Helen Watson visited an incredible list of countries when she cycled 15,000km from Glasgow to China along the Silk Road in 2009. Her book Tea and Grit dives back in to memories of that expedition.
Actor Darren Brownlie's latest project takes us on another journey, to Cumbrae on the west coast of Scotland where musical Crocodile Rock tells a beautiful story of coming out and finding out who you really are.
Dan Richards adventures have been very much in the dark, as his book Overnight explores the many wonders and workers of the nighttime, from the high seas, to the top of a crane.
Plus, singer-songwriter Horse fills the tent up with glorious music, picked from her decades-long back catalogue.
Presenter: Stuart Maconie
Producer: Caitlin Sneddon
Technical Producers: Andrew Hay and Fraser Jackson
Production Co-ordinator: Lauren Stewart

Cosy crime, Mams and other people's Mam's and the joy of space travel are all explored on this week's Loose Ends. Death in Paradise creator Robert Thorogood reveals his Aunty Jess, a woman who thought two vegetables of the same colour on a place was "common", inspired his Marlow mysteries ace-investigator Judith Potts.
Dublin comedian Emma Doran is heading to Edinburgh Festival, but she's not convinced its anything other than a pyramid scheme. Her tour is called Emmaculate, after the ultimate compliment one Mam would give another Mam in her youth - "your house is immaculate".
And award winning playwright Tim Foley talks about his latest play Life Out There, set aboard a drifting space ship full of jobsworth astronauts in the near future. Its going to be staged at Jodrell Bank Observatory - find out what the real scientists make of his ideas.
With music from Hot Chip front man Alexis Taylor's new solo album Paris in the Spring and from folk pop act Creepy Crawly aka Rachel Cawley.
Presenter: Clive Anderson
Producer: Olive Clancy
Assistant Producer: Lizzie Foster
Technical Producers: John Benton and John Cole
Production Co-ordinator: Pete Liggins