TODAY’S RADIO

In Defence Of The Midlife Crisis

10.30AM, RADIO 4 ‘I’ve done it all wrong,’ a middle-aged woman reports. ‘I’ve woken up in this life, and it’s not my life.’ A middleaged rock musician recalls coming down one morning on tour, and finding the rest of the band playing chess. Newsnight’s Stephen Smith, who says he is ‘39 plus VAT’, shares experiences with other midlifers, and comes to the conclusion that it should be a time for celebration and renewal, not regret.

Dermot O’Leary

3PM, RADIO 2 Lisa Hannigan has a sweet, breathy voice, and a lot of good songs at her disposal. The Irish singer, songwriter and instrumentalist began her career in Damien Rice’s band. She went solo in 2007, and released two albums: Sea Sew and Passenger. She’ll give a studio session of songs from her new album, At Swim, this afternoon.

A Guide To Coastal Wildlife

3.15PM, RADIO 4 Sea lavender, glasswort, seablite and other strange, salt-tolerant plants grow in the bays and estuaries of our coastline. Shrimps, crabs and worms make their homes in the sands, while wading birds patrol the water’s edge, looking for food. The wildlife sound recordist Chris Watson provides a guide to some of the flora and fauna found on our mud flats and salt marshes.

Saturday Night At The Movies 5PM, CLASSIC FM

Academy Award-winning composer Alexandre Desplat will be 55 this week. Andrew Collins celebrates the French musician’s birthday by playing two hours’ worth of Desplat’s film scores. Girl With A Pearl Earring, The King’s Speech and The Imitation Game are on the bill.

Jazz Line-Up

6PM, RADIO 3 Vocalist Cleveland Watkiss, pianist Julian Joseph and trombonist Dennis Rollins are on the bill for this live Edinburgh Festival jazz session in the grounds of Heriot-Watt University.

Archive On 4: You Are Feeling Sleepy

8PM, RADIO 4 What happens to the brain during hypnosis? The illusionist Derren Brown and the psychiatrist John Butler share their thoughts on the mysteries of hypnotism.