Award-winning actor Fiona Shaw has starred in Killing Eve, Bad Sisters, Fleabag, True Detective: Night Country, Echo Valley and even as Aunt Petunia in Harry Potter, among many other things. She’s won and been nominated for several Laurence Olivier awards for her work on stage and she’s even directed opera. Now starring in a new film adaptation of Deborah Levy’s novel, Hot Milk, Fiona plays Rose, who goes to Almería, Spain with her daughter, Sofia, played by the brilliant Emma Mackey, to try to find a cure for Rose’s mysterious paralysis at an experimental clinic. Fiona joins Nuala McGovern live in the studio to discuss it.
The Scottish Parliament is looking for opinions on a proposed bill which would change the laws on prostitution in the country. It targets those who buy sexual services by creating a new criminal offence of paying for a sexual act. If passed, it would criminalise those buying sex, while decriminalising those selling it. The woman behind the bill, MSP Ash Regan, speaks to Woman’s Hour about why she wants the change, and responds to criticisms that it could make sex work less safe.
Today government ministers have launched a review of UK parental leave and pay to reset the system and speaking yesterday the Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson said people were scared of having children because of the high costs and she wanted “more young people to have children, if they so choose”. But getting to become a parent can sometimes require ongoing fertility treatment meaning time away from work. And Fertility Matters at Work are calling for those undergoing this support to have the legal right to take time off for their appointments. They've published a report on it and the author Becky Kearns joins Nuala. She's the co-founder and CEO of Fertility Matters at Work.
A new production of Eugene O’Neill’s A Moon for the Misbegotten, starring Ruth Wilson, is on at the Almeida theatre in London. Nuala is joined by multi award-winning director Rebecca Frecknall to discuss the central character Josie, and why the father-daughter relationship at the heart of the play spoke to her.
Women’s cricket in England has been through trials and tribulations recently. The team lost 16-0 to Australia in the Women's Ashes at the start of this year, and were knocked out of the T20 World Cup at the end of last year. But in June, after the appointment of a new coach and captain, had a clean sweep in their T20 series against the West Indies. Now they’re facing India in a series of T20 matches, and suffered a defeat in their first match. Player, commentator and podcast host Melissa Story shares her thoughts on the team’s performance, as well as what’s happening in women’s cricket on a local level.
Presenter: Nuala McGovern Producer: Emma Pearce