Loose Ends

Clive kicks off in Belfast's Black Box as the Belfast International Arts Festival begins to light up venues around the city. Poet Brian Bilston is in town after putting some of his poetry to music with the help of The Catenary Wires. US folk and blues musician Chris Smither tells all about his musical journey spanning over six decades. Someone else who knows a lot about blues as of recent is opera singer Jolene O'Hara, who has taken on the role of County Down musician and 'godmother of British blues' Ottilie Patterson in the one-woman show, Ottilie. Plus, Teresa Livingstone has plenty of embarrassing stories from former jobs and her own work in stand-up, so she's channelling it all into gathering the same from other comedians in her podcast Scundered.Belfast's AOIBHA reflects on her year of her debut EP Insignificance, and folk-duo Stick in the Wheel chat about their current tour as they bring a bit of Tudor-era satire with their track The Cramp.Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Anthony McKeeA BBC Audio Nor

Clive Anderson is joined in Glasgow by comedian Dom Joly who first introduced the world to the concept of a very loud man yelling in to a giant mobile phone 25 years ago. He’s celebrating Trigger Happy TV on a national tour. Lauren Lyle is used to an investigation in her role as Val McDermid's Karen Pirie, and in new psychological thriller The Ridge she embarks on another kind of search for the truth, this time in New Zealand. In his varied career, actor Lorn Macdonald has made us chuckle with his turn as Albion Finch in TV hit Bridgeton, taken on Trainspotting on stage and now plays the tormented young playwright Konstantin in Chekhov’s The Seagull at the Lyceum in Edinburgh. After becoming a finalist on MasterChef in 2022 Sarah Rankin has cooked up a storm in the culinary world, and her newest cookbook Feast has the perfect recipes for hosting cosy dinner parties all through the darker months. Plus – she’ll be explaining why she’s been hanging out with the world champions of porridge-making. Cara Rose share

There's plenty of treasures, national and otherwise in this week's Loose Ends. Joanna Lumley describes selecting from a lifetime's worth of lists, poems and anecdotes to create a thoughtful, moving and often hilarious anthology that she says describes the workings of her mind perfectly. Playwright James Graham on updating his play Dear England to send it touring the country and why the story of England football manager Gareth Southgate is exactly the way to cheer us all, even if you never want or need to understand the offside rule. Journalist Esther Walker on being rejected umpteen times by "very mean" publishers before bringing out her debut novel that explores what it is children give us and what it is they take away. With music from ex-Flight of the Conchords frontman and Oscar-winning Muppets songwriter Bret McKenzie and Egyptian-British singer and TikTok star Nxdia.Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Olive Clancy Assistand Producer: Nancy Bennie

Loose Ends this week is full of people who aren't afraid to say or do difficult things in the name of entertainment. The actor Nigel Planer will forever be associated with the character Neil from The Young Ones, so much so that Nigel's Mum thought he was vegetarian because Neil was, though Nigel definitely isn't. At least, he says, she remembered his name. His autobiography - Young Once - reflects the fact that brilliant though Neil is, Nigel has done far, far more than that as a poet, author and performer. Life merges with art, or at least comedy in Bryony Kimmings' new show - Bog Witch - too. It's all about what happened when she moved to the country, had an eco-conversion and found out the difference between a frog and a toad. Rowan McCabe's written about being a doorstep poet, who knocks on the doors of perfect strangers and offers to write them a poem about the things that mean most to them. Find out how many ways that can go wrong. Plus music from Mercury Music Prize nominee Emma-Jean Thackray's album W

Edith Bowman is your host for a special Loose Ends live at the BBC's Contains Strong Language Festival in Bradford. Guests include the celebrated actor - from Sherlock to Mission Impossible - and writer - from Dr Who to Bookish - Mark Gatiss. He's at the festival starring in a Radio 4 comedy drama written by his League of Gentlemen colleague Jeremy Dyson. We'll hear from Amit Dhand, who credits working in his Dad's Bradford cornershop with providing the psychological insight needed to be a best-selling thriller writer. Writing as AA Dhand, he's behind the high octane BBC drama Virdee and his latest book The Chemist, set against a raging drugs war in Leeds, is his most personal yet, based on what he learnt while working as a Bradford community pharmacist. We'll have festival poet Kate Fox, who is also a standup, a Dr Who superfan and has a phd in northern comedy. All this and music from The Divine Comedy's brand new album Rainy Sunday Afternoon.Produced by Olive Clancy

Stuart Maconie's guests in Salford include comedian Josh Jones on his new tour 'I Haven't Won The Lottery So here's Another Show'. We find out what happens if he wins the lottery mid-run. Actor and writer Moira Buffini has just won the YA Book Prize for her debut novel Songlight. George Egg is the Snack Hacker, brining us goodies from his kitchen and Urielle Klein-Mekongo is the author of a new musical, Black Power Desk. And there's music from Black Country, New Road from their critically acclaimed album Forever Howlong.Presenter: Stuart Maconie Producer: Jessica Treen

Clive Anderson is joined by the multi-platinum selling American Jazz singer Curtis Stigers, Rob Webb on Mitchell & Webb Are Not Helping, best-selling Irish novelist Cecila Ahern, author of P.S I Love you, on her new book Paper Heart, director Patrick Marber discusses his spin on Mel Brook's musical The Producers and Mercury prize shortlisted rock duo Nova Twins.Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Jessica Treen

Stuart Maconie is joined by his 6Music weekend breakfast co-host Mark Radcliffe who's here to talk about his new book Et Tu, Cavapoo - all about Mark’s springtime sojourn to Rome alongside his dog Arlo. Andi Osho is taking on the role of Tedra in the RSC's production of the Pulitzer Prize winning play Fat Ham and prolific novelist Adele Parks is with us to talk about the twists and turns of family dynamics in her new book A Beautiful Mess. There'll be music from The 7:45s and from the musical comedian Amy Webber, fresh from her Edinburgh Fringe run.Presenter: Stuart Maconie Producer: Elizabeth Foster

Stuart is joined by Jon Culshaw, the star of the much loved comedy series Dead Ringers, which is about to hit the road for its 25th anniversary tour. Harriet Dyer is Easily Distra.... so let's hope she doesn't wander off halfway through the show. Jon Watts discovered his love of cooking in custody. After being taken under the wing of Jamie Oliver he's now a culinary star in his own right, about to publish his third book. And there's music from the Manchester based, New Zealand born singer songwriter Nadia Reid from her acclaimed third album Enter Now Brightness and soul singer Yazmin Lacey. Presenter: Stuart Maconie Producer: Jessica Treen

Clive Anderson hosts a Loose Ends party with some of the many musicians, comedians, writers and stars of the stage lighting up the Edinburgh Festivals.Ruth Jones’ latest book By Your Side is partly set in Scotland, and she’ll be in the capital sharing some of her pet peeves that have found their way on to its pages. Comedian and actor Jordan Gray is having a busy summer, her new sitcom Transaction hit our screens in June and her stage show promises to be her rootin-est, tootin-est, shootin-est hour of musical comedy so far. Stand-up Jamie MacDonald doesn’t want being blind to shut down his opportunities to be loathsome and toxic. Plus comedian Dylan Adler on growing up one half of a pair of identical gay twins. With music from Hot Mess, a musical that rides the highs and lows of Earth and Humanity's passionate love affair, and Nigerian singer-songwriter James Emmanuel shares his love for Edinburgh, the city he now calls home. Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Caitlin Sneddon

Clive Anderson hosts a Loose Ends party with some of the many musicians, comedians, writers and stars of the stage lighting up the Edinburgh Festivals.Tom Rosenthal is a comedian best known as Jonny on Friday Night Dinner, though I suppose you can describe him however you’d like as his new show is Whatever People Say I Am, That's What I Am. Thanyia Moore is back at the Edinburgh Fringe for her first time since 2022 – a summer that she looks back at in her aptly named August. Switzerland’s answer to John Oliver – Michael Elsener – gives his top tips on How to Live in Paradise, and explains where flooding a leading politician's post box with compression stockings comes in to it. Plus writer and storyteller Niall Moorjani shares how their new show Kanpur: 1857 manages to incorporate gender, an Indian uprising against British colonial forces, and comedy. With music from Karine Polwart and Dave Milligan who are raising a parting glass to a 200-year-old palm tree in Windblown, and Couplet who are spending their Hon

Listen up as Nihal unfolds the Beyoncé/Destiny's Child theme he's spotted in this weeks' Loose Ends. He's humming "Irreplaceable" for the heroine of author Jo Wood’s debut novel - The Resurrection of Flo - who's left her cheating husband Max (“To the left, to the left”). It's "I'm a Survivor" for the actor Bertie Carvel who is playing King Leontes in Shakespeare's intense psychological drama The Winter's Tale at the RSC. Newlywed comedian Rajiv Karia gets a blast of Crazy In Love on his way to performing at the Edinburgh Festival. And the actor and writer Tori Allen-Martin, who plays Cherry in the BBC sitcom Here We Go, won celebrity mastermind with the specialist subject of.....Beyoncé and Destiny's Child! All this with music from the classically trained, Bollywood influenced pop artist RIYA and from Indie folk duo Lost Chimes. Presented by Nihal Arthanayake Produced in Salford by Olive Clancy

Clive Anderson is joined in Salford by a Post-Coital (that's the name of her new show) Tiff Stevenson and by Sam Palladio is finally acting in his own accent in 'The Couple Next Door' after playing Texan Gunnar Scott in 'Nashville' for six seasons. Ella Al-Shamahi has been in search of what makes us 'Human' for her new BBC Two series. American actor and comedian Chris Grace is attempting to write a new show every night of the Edinburgh fringe. And there's music from the former Lush lead singer's new musical project, The Miki Berenyi Trio.Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Jessica Treen

Loose Ends is the guest of Durham Brass Festival this week, providing flugelhorns, euphoniums and an enthusiastic audience at the newly refurbished 110 year old Redhills Miners Hall, once known as "the Pitman's Parliament". Far from brassed off to be with him is the poet laureate Simon Armitage who finds exactly the right words to describe the magic of brass music but then admits to never having won a game of Cluedo. Perhaps unsurprisingly the thriller writer Paula Hawkins tells us she was something of a Cluedo ace in her youth but these days sticks to reconnoitring ideas for places to stash bodies for future novels. And there's laughs aplenty from the comedian Ria Lina who sensibly doesn't enter the Cluedo-debate though one suspects her masters in forensic science might give her an edge. All this with gorgeous music from Bill Ryder Jones with cellist Evelyn Halls and members of the NASUWT Riverside Brass Ensemble.Presented by Stuart Maconie Produced by Olive Clancy

This week Stuart is joined by comedian and poet Tim Key who takes us to LA Baby in his new book, Lucy Porter who is learning to let go in her new stand up show, and Shabaz Ali: the Tik Tok sensation with his takedowns of the super-rich. Eastenders and Call the Midwife star Leonie Elliott is starring in a new play, Liberation. There's music from Billy Nomates, performing from her new album Metalhorse and Brazilian composer, poet and multi-instrumentalist Bruno Berle.Presenter: Stuart Maconie Producer: Jessica Treen

It's mostly lollipops, ribbons and cakes for Clive Anderson this week as he meets Bake Off host Mel Giedroyc, Jane Austen improviser Rachel Parris and Romantic Novelist Mike Gayle (the only man to win the Romantic Writers Association's top award). But not all....Mel Giedroyc's new podcast - and she emphasises it's a comedy one - is taking over from Kathy Burke on Where There's a Will There's a Wake - all about death, funerals and everything in between. She reveals how she and Sue Perkins met and unsurprisingly enough it was love-friends at first sight. Rachel Parris is taking Austentacious, her improv show based on Jane Austen, on the road and to Edinburgh Fringe again. She explains why nothing quite hits the spot like Jane. But she's also written a novel based on the romance between Pride and Prejudice character Charlotte Lucas and Mr Collins. And reader, Eliza Bennett does not come out of this well. Mike Gayle is the only man the Romantic Writers Association has bestowed its Outstanding Achievement Award up

This week Loose Ends is coming from the Homecoming festival at the Lost Gardens of Heligan in Cornwall. Clive Anderson is joined by comedian, actor and writer Dawn French, who moved to Cornwall to give her more space to write and Fern Britton, who has written eleven novels set in Cornwall, and has lived here on and off since starting her career in regional television here in 1980. He also chats to Edward Rowe, who starred in Mark Jenkin's acclaimed film 'Bait' and who performs comedy as The Kernow King, and there's music from the Welsh-Cornish singer-songwriter Gwenno who will be performing tracks from her upcoming album 'Utopia'.Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Jessica Treen

It's 20 years since Jenny Colgan became a published author and since then her books have been translated across the globe, from Brazil to Bulgaria. Her latest novel is Meet Me at the Seaside Cottages.Playwright Douglas Maxwell is back at the Tron in Glasgow, a theatre that kickstarted his professional career 25 years ago. His one-man show Man’s Best Friend explores isolation and dogwalking. Zara Gladman might be best known online for her portrayals of her Glasgow West End Mum character, but she has found fans far beyond the realms of her home city. In August, she'll be swapping sketch for stage with her show Aileen: Cameron’s Gap Year Fundraiser.Poet Michael Mullen's book Goonie is their debut poetry collection. It tells stories of family, humour and queer identity, from the living room to the hairdresser's chair. Plus music from singer-songwriter James Yorkston ahead of the release of his new album Songs for Nina and Johanna.Award-winning singer, harpist and composer Rachel Newton shares a track from her lat

Ore Oduba switched broadcasting for the stage after his 2016 Strictly win. His latest production is the adaptation of Peter James’ Picture You Dead book which is on tour across the country. Tom Newlands' debut novel Only Here, Only set in a fictional Fife town has received many plaudits in the UK and beyond. It's coming out in paperback later in June. Comedian Kim Blythe continues to go from strength to strength, from online skits to stand-up. Her show Cowboy will be at the Edinburgh Fringe this August. Amy Macdonald has answered her fans' calls for new music with her upcoming album Is This What You've Been Waiting For?. She shares a track. Plus music from jazz quartet Rose Room ahead of their performance at the Glasgow Jazz Festival.

This week Clive Anderson is talking playing with toys, settling scores and saying goodbyes with OG podcaster Adam Buxton. Tanita Tikaram has finally recorded the follow up to her multi-millions selling 1988 album 'Ancient Heart', called 'LIAR'Jimi Famurewa tells us how you go from stuffing mashed potato in your pocket to appearing on Masterchef.Kiran Landa stars in 'Marriage Material', based on the novel by Santham Sangerhera at the Lyric HammersmithSouth London trio Honeyglaze perform a track from their album 'Real Deal'.Presenter: Clive Anderson Producer: Jessica Treen