BBC Four Today Sunday 8 January 2023

Terry Wogan introduces the 1979 series of the inter-regional amateur dance contest from Southampton’s Top Rank. Home Counties South compete against North East. Ray Moore commentates on latin, ballroom, old time, formation and disco

Shakespeare’s comedy of mistaken identity and the madness of love from London’s Globe Theatre. Illyria is a society in limbo, held captive by loss, until a sea-drenched stranger arrives and unexpectedly unleashes the chaotic and transformative power of love. This 2021 production is directed by Globe Associate Artistic Director Sean Holmes and is infused with the mesmeric nostalgia and soulful music from the world of Americana

Part one of two. The architect and historian reveals how the Mediterranean country influenced the Bard, as he takes a journey of discovery through Shakespeare’s Italian-based plays. He visits the locations that inspired the playwright, beginning with Padua, setting of The Taming of the Shrew, before heading to Verona to explore the tale of Romeo and Juliet. The presenter also meets actress Emma Thompson in Sicily to discuss Much Ado About Nothing, and ends his journey in Venice for a look at the city’s connection with Othello

The historian concludes his tour of the country beginning with a visit to Venice, where he meets actor Ciaran Hinds to discuss why the Bard chose the city as the setting for The Merchant of Venice. Francesco is then joined by Mark Rylance in Rome as they explore how the playwright used the Italian capital for the plots of Julius Caesar and Antony and Cleopatra to avoid Elizabethan censors. Finally, on the island of Stromboli, off the northern coast of Sicily, Francesco uncovers the location for Shakespeare’s late masterpiece – The Tempest

Tom Service presents a detailed analysis of Finnish composer Kaija Saariaho’s 1994 violin concerto Graal Théâtre, followed by a performance of the work by the BBC Philharmonic Orchestra conducted by Ludovic Morlot. Tom talks to members of the orchestra and soloist Peter Herresthal about the challenges of playing this demanding piece of music

Carnegie Prize-winning author Philip Pullman talks to Mary Beard about his love of language, rhythm and myth, his fears for the loss of civic decency in Britain and, as a former teacher, his opinions on the contemporary education system. Plus, he also discusses relinquishing his work to screenwriters of adaptations

The actor’s literary journey takes him to Andalucia in southern Spain. He finds out about the ancient city of Granada, helped by the writings of poet and playwright Federico Garcia Lorca, visits the mountain town of Ronda, much-loved by the great American writer Ernest Hemingway, and follows Laurie Lee’s footsteps from his travelogue. In the foothills of the Sierra Nevada mountains he meets drummer-turned-writer Chris Stewart, who shows Richard where he wrote the first in his bestselling series chronicling his experiences of relocating to rural Spain