Review: LETTERS LIVE, Royal Albert Hall

The seventh Letters Live performance at the Royal Albert Hall was, as always, an absolutely fantastic event. The selection of letters performed ranged from thought-provoking to heartfelt to completely ridiculous, offering something for everyone.

The lineup of readers was especially impressive, with appearances from Chris O’Dowd, Jameela Jamil, Matt Berry, Ian Wright, and Richard Ayoade. For the most part, the readers were perfectly paired with their letters.

One misstep was Geri Halliwell Horner’s reading of a letter from a feminist to an admirer. Her performance felt overly self-indulgent and took away from the letter’s potential impact as a powerful feminist message. However, this stood out as a sole weaker point of the evening, as the calibre of the other performances was so high.

Benedict Cumberbatch, a co-producer of Letters Live and a regular contributor, delivered three readings throughout the evening. His first, a hilariously graphic letter about male locker-room grooming etiquette, was an absolute highlight. The combination of his polished British accent and the letter’s crude humour made for a wonderfully funny moment.

Another stand-out comedic moment came from Lolly Adefope, whose reading of increasingly exasperated letters from the recipient of the Twelve Days of Christmas gifts was delightfully entertaining.

The night wasn’t all humour, though. Many of the readings were poignant and heartfelt. Ian McShane, Louise Brealey, and Adrian Lester gave standout performances, each bringing depth and emotion to their letters.

Two particularly moving performances came as Bella Ramsey read a beautifully life-affirming letter they had written to their younger self, while Chloe Zhao read a moving tribute from a woman to her estranged brother.

One of the most emotional moments of the evening was a letter read by the writer himself. He had written to thank the RNLI crew who saved his life 50 prior, and hearing him share his gratitude for life was incredibly moving.

The performances were bookended by brilliant musical contributions from Jessie Ware, Anoushka Shankar, and Hauschka.

Each letter reading and musical piece was enhanced by a different use of the Royal Albert Hall’s stunning lighting, which ensured that the atmosphere perfectly matched the mood of the moment for each letter performed.

Letters Live is such a wonderful celebration of the power of written communication and this particular performance, celebrating the RNLI's 200th anniversary, was a triumphant reminder of the ways letters can entertain, inspire, and connect us all.

For more information on Letters Live, click here.

Photo Credit: Andy Paradise

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