RADIO CHOICE

THE Sisters of Immaculate Health spend their days hidden away from the world, in prayer and looking after a rare species of aquatic salamander. The salamanders, also known as axolotls, are able to grow lost limbs and body parts. They were on the point of extinction, but THE SISTERS OF THE SACRED SALAMANDER (RADIO 4, 11AM) have saved the species — and the hope is that study of their DNA might bring movement to the paralysed and health to the severely ill. Victoria Gill visits the convent in central Mexico to get more details of this strange story.

BORIS is an old, wealthy merchant, and he’s also a bully. He and his son, Zinovy, run a large estate and own the peasant-slaves who work the land. Zinovy is married to a much younger woman, Katerina, who doesn’t love

him and embarks on an affair with the seductive Sergei. Rochenda Sandall (pictured) and Joe Armstrong star in LADY MACBETH OF MTSENSK (RADIO 4,

EXTRA, 11.15AM, 9.15PM), a story of passion and murder, adapted from a novella by Nikolai Leskov.

ECHO & The Bunnymen have a new album out. It’s called The Stars, The Oceans & The Moon and features some reworkings of their big hits, including Seven Seas and The Cutter. They join MARC RILEY (BBC 6 MUSIC, 7PM) to talk about the album and to give a live session.