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It has quite simply been the most eagerly awaited television series of the decade, let's fact it, since John Logie Beard invented the googlebox! You would've had to have been on Mars not to be aware of the new 10-part series "Indian Summers" which begins this Sunday. Joining Claudia are the creator Paul Rutman, and actor Henry Lloyd Hughes.

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Indian Summers is a 10-part series which begins this Sunday on Channel 4 at 9pm

If you were once a Man Booker Judge, and indeed film critic, it's a brave move to become an author, opening yourself up to all sorts of revenge! Anthony Quinn has done exactly that, and joins Claudia.

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"Curtain Call" by Anthony Quinn is out now in hardback and Ebook published by Random House.

1. The Absence of War by Sir David Hare

First staged in 1992, and based on Hare's experiences following the campaign of the then Labour leader Neil Kinnock. Director Jeremy Herrin has decided that the play's fictional politican George Jones might be relevant to the era of Ed Miliband.

"The Absence Of War" is on at The Sheffield Crucible Theatre and runs until 21st February.

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2. Jefferson's Garden by Timberlake Wertenbaker

The play starts at the end of the American wars on independence and the central character is Thomas Jefferson who later became an American President but at this stage is involved in writing the Declaration of Independence and then the American Constitution.

"Jefferson's Garden" is at the Watford Palace Theatre and runs until 21st February.

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3. A View From The Bridge by Arthur Miller

This was writtenin the 1950s by the great American playwright Arthur Miller whose birth centenary is being celebrated this year. This production has a radical new staging by Belgian director Ivo Van Hove.

"A View From The Bridge" is on at the Wyndhams Theatre until 11th April.

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4. Di And Viv And Rose by Amelia Bullmore

Aged 18, three girls join forces at university, where life is fun and living is intense. Rose is a free-spirited art history student who sleeps with any boy she fancies, Di is a sporty lesbian who is taking business studies, and Viv is a sociology student with a ferocious work ethic. They seem unlikely friends, but somehow they remain attached through separation, varied career paths and even mortality.

"Di And Viv And Rose" is on at the Vaudeville Theatre and runs until 23rd May.

There are few actors who have done it all; sitcoms, dramas, films, musical plays...from "The Brittas Empire" to Mike Leigh's "Life Is Sweet", "Mamma Mia", to Ab-Fab" and who could forget that wonderful wig, and of course performance of Madame Morrible in "Wicked". The听actress Harriet Thorpe joins听Claudia to talk about her latest听play "The Last Of The De Mullins".

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"The Last Of The De Mullins"听is at听The Jermyn Street Theatre until 28th February 2015.听

The play "The Ruling Class" has been summarised as well as being the zaiest of director Jamie Lloyd's career. Both Jamie, and one of the stars of the play Joshua McGuire join Claudia to talk about it.

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"The Ruling Class" runs at The Trafalgar Studios until 11th April.

"The Chimes" is a novel about what might happen if the written word were replaced with music. It's also about memory, mudlarking, acoustic location, love, and London. Debut novelist Anna Smaill joins Claudia.

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The Chimes by Anna Smaill is out in hardback now and published by Sceptre.