Review: LETTERS LIVE, Royal Albert Hall

The unique event that is Letters Live returned to the Royal Albert Hall to celebrate its tenth anniversary on 16 November. Since December 2013, it has appeared from Wilderness Festival to a refugee camp in Calais, bringing the joy and wonder of the written word to audiences all over the world.

The variety of letters is always carefully curated and last night was no exception. All of humanity is here from love, to frustration, to hope, to family and everything in between.

The element of the unexpected is a central theme to Letters Live, as you never have any warning as to who will appear on stage. Unlike some previous shows, no politicians or heads of state appeared in this show, with the show leaning more on the performing fraternity.

The inimitable Benedict Cumberbatch opened the letters of the evening with a coruscating letter of complaint from Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw after attending a performance at the Royal Opera House in 1905. Shaw highlighted in great detail the frustration he felt at having to adhere to the venue’s strict dress code while a woman who was seated in front of him was permitted to wear a large hat that looked like a “dead bird”.

Stephen Fry appeared to great applause to read an utterly hilarious letter from last month, written by comedian Joe Lycett to the then Home Secretary Suella Braverman. Those familiar with Lycett’s sardonic and sarcastic style can guess at the tone of the letter, praising Braverman for her intolerance towards asylum seekers who pretend they are gay to gain access to the UK. The line “sometimes you have to just stamp on a dog” nearly brought the house down.

A highlight of the evening was motivational speaker Harnaam Kaur who read her own letter to her younger self. Kaur was diagnosed with polycystic ovary syndrome which left her with extra facial hair. After she completed her GCSEs, she let her facial hair grow. Her letter is heart breakingly beautiful and brutally honest. The message of self-acceptance, setting yourself free speaks to many and her sincerity at a belief that “you will show people what beauty truly is” left a huge impact on the audience.

Comic relief came from Woody Harrelson reading novelist John Cheever’s 1960 letter about a cantankerous cat he reluctantly rehomed for a friend. Minnie Driver appeared to read a wonderful letter of complaint from a female customer to Boots after buying wax strips that left her bikini line looking like ”a dancefloor of a really questionable club at 3am”. Will Sharpe read another unintentionally hilarious letter of complaint to Continental Airlines from a passenger was seated in far too close proximity to the toilet.

Grief and loss combined with the uplifting as Jodie Whittaker shared a profoundly moving letter from Heather McManamy, who wrote a letter to her friends and family, to be shared with them after her death at only 37 from cancer.

Sanjeev Bhaskar got to relate a wonderfully abstract letter Spike Milligan sent home to his family when he was secretly stationed in Italy during World War II. He later returned to read an incredibly creative letter written to a young Lewis Carroll by his father in 1840; stories of ducks hiding in pencil cases and the Mayor of Leeds disguised as a cake may go some way to explain where Carroll’s incredible imagination began.

Other appearances came from performers such as Gillian Anderson, Louise Brealey, Olivia Colman, Rob Delaney, Tobias Menzies and Vivian Oparah. Music was provided by Kae Tempest, The Spirituals Choir, the wonderful Angelique Kidjo (who plays at the Royal Albert Hall tonight-17 November) and Tom Odell, who opened the show with a spine-tingling rendition of his song “Black Friday", accompanied by Octet.

In our modern world where much communication relies on quick texts and emojis, it is a truly uplifting and inspiring experience to be reminded of the creative impact of a beautifully crafted letter. Here’s to another decade of these wonderful events.

For more information on Letters Live, click here.

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