RAH Letters Live 2023 by TGDH

Letters

Live THU 16 NOV 2023

Thursday 16 November 2023

in association with

“I write masses of letters; I love letters and feel sure these ravishing shows will prompt many young ones to pick up a pen and paper, as well as flying their fingers over keys. The whole feeling backstage was one of friendship, anticipation, support and mutual appreciation, and, actually, joy. We all loved being with each other: Juliet S whispered as we stepped onto the stage “ this is our first appearance together on any stage anywhere…” …. hurrah for Letters Live!” Joanna Lumley 4

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A warm welcome to Letters Live We are very pleased to welcome you to the Royal Albert Hall, a magical place where history and culture reverberate through the air, and where the unrivalled power of correspondence will soon reveal itself before your eyes and ears. As we come together tonight to celebrate the humble letter, the excitement and gravity of the occasion isn’t lost on us. A decade ago, in a much smaller venue, we embarked on an extraordinary journey through the words of others that, in turn, helped us find our own. Since that opening show in 2013, with your help, Letters Live has become a treasured space where letters still hold relevance, offering insight, empathy, and a moment of reflection in complex times. And times, indeed, are complex. As the world navigates an intricate web of violence and unease, the role of letters as carriers of empathy and love becomes more vital than ever. They serve as bridges across chasms of misunderstanding, offering light where there’s darkness, bringing near what distance keeps apart.

By joining us tonight, you’re not just an audience member; you’re an active participant in a cause that stretches its influence far and wide. Through our unwavering support of invaluable organisations like Choose Love, your ticket becomes more than just admission – it’s a direct contribution to efforts that make a tangible difference, touching lives across communities and continents. Today also marks the beginning of a global partnership with Montblanc, the iconic brand that has become synonymous with the art of fine writing. This new alliance enables us to strengthen Letters Live’s mission, extend our reach, and make an even bigger impact with the charities we so admire. As we turn the page on a decade of shared stories and moments that resonate, we look forward to creating many more with you – our devoted audience and the very heart of Letters Live. From all of us here, thank you for being a part of this memorable journey. Warmest regards, The Letters Live Team

LETTERS LIVE I

Eat your vegetables 1973 John W James III to President Nixon As the Watergate scandal was breaking, President Richard M. Nixon was hospitalised with pneumonia. Having just been in hospital with the same illness, eight-year-old John W. James III wrote

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to Nixon, encouraging him to eat his greens and take his medicine. Just as the letter predicted, Nixon’s hospital stay lasted exactly eight days, the same length as John’s.

My rocket ship 1957 Denis Cox to ‘A top Scientist’

Following the announcement that the Soviets had trumped the U.S. with the successful launch of Sputnik 1, Australian schoolboy Denis Cox urgently sent a letter to the Royal Australian Air Force’s Rocket Range at Woomera, in an attempt to enter his country into the Space Race. The letter, addressed to “A TOP SCIENTIST” and consisting of a basic

rocket ship design accompanied by instructions for engineers to “put in other details”, fell on deaf ears and the 12-yearold boy received no response. That was until 52 years later, when in 2009, Denis’ letter made the news after being featured on the website of the National Archives of Australia, and he finally got a reply from the Australian Department of Defence.

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Letters Live... the story so far

In a world humming with instantaneous communication, the act of writing a letter seems almost revolutionary. Letters defy the laws of our fast-paced life, requiring us to pause, reflect, and truly engage with our thoughts before setting them down on paper. They demand more from us than a tap or a swipe; they ask for our time, our focus, and our sincerity. In an era where everything is fleeting and easily deleted, letters stand as lasting monuments to our thoughts and feelings. They give weight to our words and allow them to travel, not just across physical distances, but through time itself. When the ‘send’ button

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is replaced by a postage stamp, something magical happens, and it’s this magic that enables Letters Live to be not just an event, but an experience that leaves an indelible mark.

“A letter is a light kiss, a paper dart tossed in a friend’s direction, to be thrown away or playfully returned.” – Virginia Woolf It was in 2002 that letters first sunk their claws into me. For ten of those twelve

months, separated by hundreds of miles at the beginning of our relationship, my future wife and I decided to keep in touch by post. Not only by letter, and certainly not every day, but as often as time would permit. The many handwritten notes we exchanged during that period were more than just ink on paper; they were snapshots of our lives at particular moments, each capturing nuances and emotions that electronic messages could never hold. By the end of it we had a tangible record of a connection that might otherwise have been reduced to call logs and deleted texts, and thanks in no small part to those letters the connection we had forged was strong. Before long I was engrossed in the published correspondence of others, and a nosier reading pile would have been impossible to find. It took a while, but my habit eventually became larger than me and the urge to somehow share these letters was overwhelming. So, in 2009 I launched Letters of Note, an “online homage to old-fashioned correspondence” through which I could wave these gems in the digital air like an unhinged, untrained archivist, not believing for one moment that more than a handful of people would take an interest in something so “last century.” To my astonishment I was wrong. Soon millions of like-minded individuals were visiting the website each and every month to peer through these windows into the past, and suddenly I was inundated with suggestions from around the globe. Had I not already been hopelessly hooked, this reaction would have nudged me over the line. What this proved was that the stories contained in letters are universal. They connect us to our shared human experiences

irrespective of time, place, or circumstance. There’s an incredible power in these snippets of life; they are more than just individual tales but are parts of a much greater narrative that transcends borders and languages. This universal appeal was underscored when the Letters of Note book was crowdfunded in 2013. Thousands of people were so emotionally invested in these pieces of correspondence that they were willing to invest financially to see them published in print. At that point, I was convinced I’d reached the pinnacle of this journey – that the transformation of Letters of Note into a beautiful, tangible book could be nothing short of its ultimate expression. But I was wrong.

“A letter is an unannounced visit, the postman the agent of rude surprises.” – Friedrich Nietzsche

LETTERS LIVE I

Letters Live had its genesis not in a boardroom but in a pub – a common breeding ground for ideas both good and bad. The Uxbridge Arms, to be exact, a pen’s throw from the London offices of independent publisher Canongate Books. It was there, one evening in 2013, that a handful of people formulated a plan to celebrate and publicise two new books from that very publisher: Simon Garfield’s masterful history of letter writing, To the Letter, and my own anthology, Letters of Note. The ringleader that night was the head of Canongate, Jamie Byng, an irrepressible ball of energy whose vision was clear: to assemble an eclectic cast of performers, arm them with intriguing letters from history, and let the alchemy between reader and text light up the room. No frills, no gimmicks. A simple premise, and with good reason, for any embellishment would only serve to distract from what is already a raw, emotionally intense experience. The power

isn’t in the spectacle but in the stories these letters tell, tales that span centuries and continents, lives and deaths. By the time they staggered from the pub, the concept had been decided, a venue chosen, performers suggested, and thanks to an idea from Simon, Letters Live had a name. In the month that followed, Jamie plucked various high profile names from his address book and invited them to breathe life into a letter or two, and as these people invariably agreed to jump on board, a sense of palpable excitement began to build. Five weeks after that brainstorming session at the Uxbridge Arms, we gathered at the Tabernacle in London. Scripts were printed, the running order set, and the stage prepared. But as we looked out at the assembled audience that evening, it was clear that the true magic lay in the unknown – the spontaneous reactions, the unscripted moments, and the unpredictable chemistry between reader, letter, and audience. As the lights dimmed, we took a breath, ready to embark on what would become a transformative journey for all involved – a journey that still continues to captivate and inspire to this very day.

“A letter is a joy of Earth – it is denied the Gods.” – Emily Dickinson Letters Live’s debut was by all accounts a roaring success. It was a packed yet intimate audience, and the atmosphere was electric as the starry cast took to the stage one by one. Nick Cave read a superb letter of his own, written in 1996 to MTV in response to

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an award nomination he clearly did not need nor want, and he closed the show’s first half at the piano with a stunning performance of his song, Love Letter. Juliet Stevenson brought many to tears with a reading of Virginia Woolf’s heartrending final letter to her husband, penned days before she took her own life – a performance so moving it felt as though time itself had paused, allowing us a glimpse into Woolf’s innermost thoughts and turmoil. A truly chilling Jack the Ripper letter was taken on by Matt Berry, who was quickly followed by Gillian Anderson as Katherine Hepburn, with a missive to her partner, Spencer Tracy, written eighteen years after his death. At one point Benedict Cumberbatch channelled Alan Turing to read his devastating letter to Norman Routledge, sent shortly before pleading guilty to gross indecency. Each sentence, laced with despair and vulnerability, resonated with the audience, drawing them into the loneliness Turing must have felt during those agonising

times. And there were the Chris and Bessie letters, an impossibly charming, romantic wartime exchange discovered by Simon that was so affecting and entertaining, it would soon become a regular feature of the shows to follow. In an evening so brimming with highlights, it’s a challenge to do justice to every letter and performer within the confines of these pages, so I’ll just add that the remaining cast, including Neil Gaiman, Peter Serafinowicz, Colin Salmon, Kerry Fox, and James Rhodes, were all magnificent, their readings adding to the spellbinding nature of the night. But there was more. To crown it all was an auction that not only raised money for The Reading Agency but also entertained everyone present. On the auction block: a copy of each book, signed by the performers, and in the case of Letters of Note, licked by its auctioneers, Benedict and Gillian.

LETTERS LIVE I

For me, sitting there amidst it all, the

events in 6 countries, lit up 22 different stages,

that I had only ever read in solitude spring to

Letters Live family, and brought letters to life

experience was surreal. Watching letters

life, interpreted by voices far more seasoned than my inner monologue, was to witness the power of letters in its purest form. In

that room, with each letter and each reader, the written word was not just seen, but felt – each sentence, each word, each letter

contributing to something far greater than

the sum of its parts. And so we knew: Letters Live had arrived, not just as an event, but as

an experience – a celebration of the enduring power of letters to touch our lives in ways we never thought possible.

welcomed hundreds of performers into the for over 104,000 audience members. And

while we’ve shared moments of laughter, tears, and inspiration on stage, these performances haven’t strictly ended when the curtain has

fallen. Many have been captured and relived on the Letters Live YouTube channel close to 30 million times. Most importantly of all,

every time we have put on a show it has been in partnership with a charity whose work

we admire, enabling us to raise hundreds of

thousands of pounds for organisations such

as Choose Love, First Story, Save the Children, Vital Voices, National Literacy Trust, and

others. These relationships sit at the core of “The sending of a letter constitutes a magical grasp upon the future.” – Iris Murdoch In its first decade, Letters Live has far

exceeded our expectations. We’ve held 73

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our mission, allowing us to extend our impact beyond the stage, and on occasion lead to shows in unconventional settings.

In February 2016 we partnered with Help

Refugees (the charity now called Choose Love) and travelled to the refugee camp in Calais, where we put on a show at the

or in the audience, it was impossible not to be deeply moved.

Later that same year we staged a show in the chapel at Brixton Prison in partnership with National Prison Radio to celebrate its 10th

anniversary. Unlike any Letters Live before it, this special event was broadcast live to over 40,000 inmates across England and Wales.

Olivia Colman, Benedict Cumberbatch, Kae Tempest, Tom Hollander, and several other

renowned performers shared the stage with camp’s Good Chance Theatre. In the most

humbling of environments, letters were read not only by our cast of regulars – Jude Law,

Juliet Stevenson, Sir Tom Stoppard, Shappi

Korsandi, and Toby Jones, to name just five –

but also by some of the refugees. The impact of this show was profound, both for those

who performed and those who listened. The collaboration between Letters Live and the

a number of ex-prisoners, their readings echoing not just through the chapel but

into prison cells nationwide, expanding our

audience to those who, in a sense, needed these letters the most. It was a profound

moment for everyone involved, affirming the transformative power of human connection, regardless of the physical or social barriers that divide us.

refugees offered a remarkable instance of

shared humanity, breaking down barriers and erasing distances in a way only letters can.

Through their stories, the refugees were no

longer faceless statistics; they were individuals with lives, hopes, and fears. The air was thick

with emotion, and whether one was on stage

“To send a letter is a good way to go

somewhere without moving anything but your heart.”

– Phyllis Theroux

LETTERS LIVE I

Since our debut ten years ago, Letters Live has

that we explore. Ten minutes earlier, Stephen

with SunnyMarch, the production company

letter of complaint once sent to the manager

become its own entity, formed in partnership owned by Benedict Cumberbatch and Adam Ackland. To this day the Letters Live team

remains small and nimble, and after a decade of producing these shows with Adam, Jamie, and Aimie Sullivan, it continues to be an

enjoyable and rewarding experience and a highlight of my working life.

We’ve had the privilege of hosting Letters Live at many prestigious venues worldwide, but the Royal Albert Hall holds a unique charm.

It was in 2019, for our 59th Letters Live, that we first experienced the magic of this iconic

setting, already having graced such stages as

Freemasons’ Hall and Union Chapel in London, The Theatre at Ace Hotel in Los Angeles, and the Town Hall in New York City. Something

about the Hall’s storied history, the echoes of past legendary performances, elevates

the experience, making you feel part of a rich, ongoing tapestry.

During that show, a significant moment in

contemporary British politics unfolded right

before our eyes. Rory Stewart chose our stage as the platform to announce his resignation from the Tory Party. His departure from the

political fold was not just a headline-grabbing

moment, but a monumental event that further magnified the relevance and gravity Letters

Live held as a forum. Rory didn’t just make his announcement; he went on to read a letter

that underscored the complexities and ironies of political life, offering a critique to Boris

Johnson through the words of an Eton school master written to Johnson’s father years ago. But the beauty of Letters Live is the

unpredictability and range of human emotion

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Fry had brought the house down with an old of the Hall itself. This particular missive

recounted the amusing story of someone

baring their bum to the audience from one of the loggia boxes, a far cry from the political turn the evening would soon take.

This evening’s show will be our fifth in this astonishing venue, and while we can’t

promise high-profile resignations or letters

about mooning, what we can guarantee is an unforgettable couple of hours that will never be repeated.

“More than kisses, letters mingle souls; for, thus friends absent speak.” – John Donne We can also promise music, an element of

Letters Live which has continued to enrich

and elevate the shows ever since Nick Cave set the tone in 2013. In a fashion befitting

the written treasures we present, each event is enveloped by musical performances –

interludes that offer the audience a space for reflection and emotional recalibration.

These aren’t mere pauses but rather crucial acts of pacing, giving the audience time to absorb the weight of the letters read and

prepare for the ones yet to come. Musical acts at the Royal Albert Hall alone have included, amongst others, Damon Albarn, Celeste,

Thom Yorke, Laura Mvula, Gabriels, and Tom Odell. One of our most memorable musical moments came in 2022, when the Hall’s

resident organist, Anna Lapwood, awakened

the Grand Organ to close the show with Hans

Zimmer’s Cornfield Chase. That night, music

the here and now. Letters Live is not just about

powerful narrative force of its own, leaving an

– one letter at a time.

was not just an accessory to the letters but a

impression that lingered long after the echoes had dissipated.

As we reflect on the first decade of Letters

Live, we realise that this journey has only just begun. Our dedicated team is as committed as ever, and we are poised for an exciting

chapter ahead. Through a new partnership with Montblanc, the esteemed pen and

stationery brand, we find ourselves with

expanded horizons – new opportunities for

looking back, but also about writing the future And so, we extend this invitation to you: join us. Whether from the cosy comfort of your home as you watch a performance on our

YouTube channel, or in the palpable energy

of a live event, be a part of this extraordinary journey. Pick up a pen, open your heart, and

add your voice to this ever-growing symphony of human experience. Letters Live is proof

that sometimes the most impactful messages

growth, deeper charitable involvement, and a

are those that come not from the keypad, but

more than a living archive; it’s an ever-evolving

tangible and true.

broader scope for our mission. Letters Live is movement. We are keen to take Letters

Live to more countries and to stage these

shows in different languages, to build a global

community where letters are not just relics of a bygone era, but vital tools for connection in

from ink, not in bytes, but in written words,

Here’s to the stories that are still waiting to be written, told by us all. Shaun Usher

Co-Producer at Letters Live

LETTERS LIVE I

Save the date Wednesday 6 March 2024 Be the first to hear the latest news:

Photo: Andy Paradise

“Letters Live is a unique and special event. There is no other night quite like it and being part of such a well-organised, thoughtful, beautifully puttogether celebration of humanity was an absolute honour.” Dolly Alderton LETTERS LIVE I

The Galilean moons

1610 Galileo Galilei to Leonardo Donato, Doge of Venice January, 1610: Italian physicist and astronomer Galileo Galilei writes to Leonardo Donato, Doge of Venice, to describe the telescope he has designed

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and built, and, for the first time, illustrates Jupiter’s four largest moons, all of which he had just discovered.

What a dandy car you make 1934 Clyde Barrow to Henry Ford

April 13 1934: Clyde “Champion” Barrow (of Bonnie and Clyde), writes to Henry Ford to express his appreciation of the American business magnate’s cars. Barrow had a particular soft spot for Ford’s V8-

powered Model B – the vehicle in which the infamous duo would meet their end, just two months after this letter was written, as they attempted to drive away from police.

LETTERS LIVE I

Letters from the archive The Royal Albert Hall Archive houses hundreds of thousands of priceless treasures, which together, make-up a physical timeline of the venue’s 152-year history. Among the artefacts, dating from the 1850s to the present day, you will find; a trumpet

In this 1971 letter to The Times, organist and composer Craig Sellar Lang recalls the time he stepped-in last minute to play the Hall’s grand organ at a suffrage meeting 60 years prior. Upon hearing there might be

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from the opening ceremony, a programme designed by Pablo Picasso, a ceremonial broom used during the Grand Sumo Tournament in 1991 (the only time the sport had been staged outside Japan in its1,500year history), and of course, many letters...

anti-suffrage protesters hiding in the 70foot organ, Lang attempted to blast out the unwelcomed guests with the intensity of the instrument’s 9,999 pipes.

While some letters in the archive are pages long, this one from 1970 rejecting Black Sabbath from playing is short and sweet. After some persuasion, the gig did go ahead and the band played the final concert of their Paranoid tour at the Hall in 1971. They returned the following year for what would be their final appearance, when fans caused £95.25 worth of damage to the building, contributing to the Hall’s Rock and Pop ban of 1972. a reading room open to researchers by appointment, has been completed.

To preserve the Royal Albert Hall archive for future generations, an archive rescue project was launched to move the entire collection from unsuitable locations throughout the building, into one dedicated, climate-controlled, purpose-designed space. After an incredible £1m was raised, the new archive space, which includes

Handbill from the antisuffragist demonstration at the Royal Albert Hall on February 28th 1912, organised by the National League For Opposing Woman Suffrage.

Alongside the conservation project, the Hall has also launched its ‘Most Wanted’ appeal, to track down the 40 most notable items still missing from its collection. These include the silver trowel used in laying its first brick in November 1867, ephemera from Captain Scott’s 1910 presentation on his then-recent expedition to the North Pole, and a programme from Janis Joplin’s legendary 1969 show, her only ever solo headline performance in the UK. The first of the 40 long-sought-after items – a programme for an anti-suffrage rally in 1912 – was located last month.

The new archive space was created with the generous support of donors, including the Charles Hayward Foundation, Royal Albert Hall America and the Thompson Family Charitable Trust. To explore the collection and search the online database, visit catalogue.royalalberthall.com LETTERS LIVE I

I like words

1934 Robert Pirosh to various In 1934, a New York copywriter by the name of Robert Pirosh quit his well-paid job and headed for Hollywood, determined to begin the career of his dreams as a screenwriter. When he arrived, he gathered the names and addresses of as many directors, producers and studio executives as he could find, and sent them what is surely one of the greatest, most

effective cover letters ever to be written; a letter which secured him three interviews, one of which led to his job as a junior writer at MGM. Fifteen years later, screenwriter Robert Pirosh won an Academy Award for Best Original Screenplay for his work on the war film, Battleground. A few months after that, he also won a Golden Globe.

The Letter Dear Sir: I like words. I like fat buttery words, such as ooz e, turpitude, glutinous, toa dy. I like solemn, angula r, creaky words, such as straitlaced, cantankerous, pecunious, valedictory. I like spurio us, black-is-white words, such as mortician, liquidate, tonsorial, demi-monde. I like suave “V” words, such as Svengali, svelte, bravura, verve. I like crunchy, brittle, crackly words, such as spl int er, grapple, jostle, crusty. I like sullen, crabbed, sco wli ng words, such as skulk, glo wer, scabby, churl. I lik e OhHeavens, my-gracious, lan d’s-sake words, such as tri cksy, tucker, genteel, horrid. I like elegant, flowery wor ds, such as estivate, peregrina te, elysium, halcyon. I lik e wormy, squirmy, mealy wor ds, such as crawl, blubbe r, squeal, drip. I like sniggl y, chuckling words, such as cowlick, gurgle, bubble and burp. I like the word screenwri ter better than copywrite r, so I decided to quit my job in a New York advertising age ncy and try my luck in Hollyw ood, but before taking the plunge I went to Europe for a year of study, contem plation and horsing around. I have just returned and May I have a few with you

I still like words. ?

Robert Pirosh 385 Madison Avenue Room 610 New York Eldorado 5-6024

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U N W I

Come and stay at The Other House South Kensington, your house for as long as you’re in town. Moments away from the Royal Albert Hall, The Other House is a Residents Club combining apartment-style living, hotel services and access to our exclusive private club. As a partner of the Royal Albert Hall, we are delighted to offer you 20% off our published rates. Just use the booking code RAH on our website or contact us using the details below.

The Other House South Kensington 15 -17 Harrington Gardens, London, SW7 4JJ

www.otherhouse.com +44 (0)20 3846 6000 stay-sk@otherhouse.com

@intheotherhouse @otherhouse_sk LETTERS LIVE I

Behind the envelope Backstage at the Royal Albert Hall

Behind the Royal Albert Hall’s iconic stage lies a hidden realm where the Letters Live performers step out of their own shoes and into those of others, ready to connect with the words they will soon share. Tonight, we grant you a rare glimpse beyond the glamour, into the hushed corridors and dressing rooms where the final breaths of anticipation are drawn.

30th October 2021: San jeev Bhaskar captures the jubilation of the curtain call.

2022 photos by Andy Paradise, 2021 photos by Misan Harriman

and eases Norton chats to Sheila Atim 28th October 2022: Graham stage to share on ds hea he re befo le Unc back into the role of Agony mn. problems from his former colu some responses to readers’

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27th October 2022: Selena Godden lends an ear to Jordan Stephens as he runs through a profoundly moving letter from Fernando Pessoa to friend and fellow poet Mário de Sá-Carneiro.

e a final readBrealey and Cynthia Erivo hav 30th October 2021: Louise turn at the lectern. through before taking their

27th October 2022: Mir iam Margolyes momenta rily sets down her glasses to smile for a pho to, before returning to study a very stern letter by novelist Ayn Rin d.

tion crew. h compares notes with produc stage, Benedict Cumberbatc the to ng taki re befo rtly Sho 27th October 2022:

her way to the stage to 27th October 2022: A very serene Celeste makes perform her song ‘Strange’.

30th October 2021: Louise Brealey gets into charac ter before heading on stage.

LETTERS LIVE I

27th October 2022: After the show , Benedict Cumberbatch exchange s stories with fellow performer Unit States Special Presidential Envoy for ed Climate, John Kerry.

27th October 2022: Kit Har ington takes Tony Robinson by surprise with an enthusiastic rehearsal, muc h to the delight of Denise Gou gh.

od chats 27th October 2022: Resident organist Anna Lapwo before hours r Hunte e Sophi and h with Benedict Cumberbatc show. the close to stage on ict Bened joining

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nise Gough enjoy Himesh Patel and De 27th October 2022: ities. the post-show festiv

30th October 2021: Laura Mvula squeezes the hands of Cynthia Erivo and Daisy Ridley following her breath-taking performance of Billie Holiday’s ‘Strange Fruit’.

“Letters Live is a Unique experience, for both the audience and the performers. It’s the only time I say yes to a job before I’ve finished reading the email, because it’s a perfect gig. Wonderful literature, wonderful people to work with and an incredible energy from what is always a wonderful audience. It’s always an honour to be asked, and always a joy to do. A splendid time guaranteed for all”. John Simm LETTERS LIVE I

Fifty lady sharpshooters 1898 Annie Oakley to President McKinley April 5, 1898: As the Spanish-American War looms, world-famous markswoman, and Buffalo Bill performer, Annie Oakley offers President William McKinley the services of 50 “lady sharpshooters” who would provide their own arms and ammunition should war break out.

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“I for one feel confident that your good judgment will carry America safely through without war. But in case of such an event I am ready to place a company of fifty lady sharpshooters at your disposal. Every one of them will be an American and as they will furnish their own Arms and Ammunition will be little if any expense to the government.”

THE PO ETS’ REVIVAL Presented by LionHeart

Wed 1 May

LETTERS LIVE I

I have had my eye on you 1866 Simon Fallowfield to Mary Foster

On the morning of November 29th, 1866, in the Yorkshire village of Middlesmoor, the following letter found its way to the home of one Mary Foster, sent by a local farmer

named Simon Fallowfield. It will surprise not a single person to learn that Mary declined the offer you are soon to hear.

The Letter My Dear Miss, I now take up my pen to write to you hopi ng these few lines will find you well as it leaves me at present Thank God for it. You will perhaps be surprised that I should make so bold as to write to you who is such a lady and I hope you will not be vex at me for it. I hard ly dare say what I want, I am so timid about ladi es, and my heart trimmels like a hespin. But I once seed in a book that faint heart never won fair lady, so here goes. I am a farmer in a small way and my age is rather more than forty years and my mother lives with me and keeps my house, and she has been very poorly lately and cannot stir about much and I think I should be more comforta bler with a wife. I have had my eye on you a long time and I think you are a very nice young woma n and one that would make me happy if only you think so. We keep a servant girl to milk thre e kye and do the work in the house, and she goes on a bit in the summer to gadder wick ens and she snags a few turnips in the back kend. I do a piece of work on the farm myself and atte nds Pately Market, and I sometimes show a few shee p and I feeds between 3 & 4 pigs agen Chri stmas, and the same is very useful in the house to make pies and cakes and so forth, and I sell s the hams to help pay for the barley meal. I have about 73 pound in Naisbro Bank and we have a nice little parlour down stairs with a blue carpet, and an oven on the side of the fireplace and the old woman on the other side smoking. The Golden Rules claimed up on the walls above the long settle, and you could sit all day in the easy chair and knit and mend my kytles and leggums, and you coul d make the tea ready agin I come in, and you coul d make butter for Pately Market, and I woul d drive you to church every Sunday in the spring cart, and I would do all that bees in my powe r to make you happy. So I hope to hear from you. I am in desprit and Yurnest, and will marr y you at May Day, or if my mother dies afore I shal l want you afore. If only you will accep t of me, my dear, we could be very happy together. I hope you will let me know your mind by return of post, and if you are favo urable I will come up to scratch. So no more at present from your well wisher and true love. Simon Fallowfield PS I hope you will say nothing about this. If you will not accept of me i have another very nice woman in my eye, and i think shal l marry her if you do not accept of me, but i thought you would suit me mother better, she bein g very crusty at times.

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Like a tree in full bearing 1848 Charlotte Bronte to W. S. Williams

Charlotte Brontë was the eldest of the Brontë sisters, three siblings whose novels – Charlotte’s Jane Eyre, Emily’s Wuthering Heights, and Anne’s The Tenant of Wildfell Halls, to name but three – are now

considered classics. In 1848, Emily died from tuberculosis; she was just 30 years old. A few days after her death, Charlotte wrote to her publisher.

The Letter December 25th, 1848.

heart can find a at length when my re mo u yo to e it wr tter, which My dear Sir,—I will briefly for your le ry ve u yo k an th ly n on little rest—now I ca in its sincerity. nt ue oq el seemed to me e are taken out of th ed mortal remains st wa r he w, my no de re si Emily is nowhere he the church aisle be erished head under ch r he r’s. But a id he la ot br ve s ha es house. We my poor, hapl d an o— ag ng lo ad sters’—de . mother’s, my two si poor father thinks e race is left—so my th of t an mn re l al sm as I hear the sad comfort I take, me so d an , rs he t rs, no that the Well, the loss is ou e frost, in knowing th of ss ne en ke g in her grave; the cutt rity cannot reach wind blow and feel ve se r ei th g; in er shed no more suff , hollow cough is hu elements bring her ss soothed, her deep ne ss le st we re g; r in he rn d, the mo her fever is quiete nor listen for it in t gh ni e th in e it am fr hear it and the fragile for ever; we do not rangely strong spir st e th ry calm of ea ct dr li A nf n. co be forgotte have not the to r ve ne , en se e nc s conflict—o before us—relentles seek resignation. midst of which we e th in , us d un ro reigns d has hitherto well. As for me, Go om fr r fa e ar ne n ster An equate to bear my ow My father and my si far I have felt ad so ; me t d ge ne n ai ca st I su not ill; most graciously lp to others. I am he le tt li a alive r gy fe er of and en burden and even to wards keeping hope to g in th me so do d ot es, an , “Charl te, through daily duti to me almost hourly ys sa er th fa My usehold. n conceive, these words, you ca in our mourning ho ”; me il fa u yo if shall sink ne’s very still but you must bear up, I too, of my sister An t, gh si e Th . re tu t falter. Somebody are a stimulus to na r her that I dare no fo ar fe ch su me in deep sorrow wakens . st re e th must cheer e fulness of our s torn from us in th wa y il Em y wh k as e promise of her So I will not now her own days, in th of e im pr e th in up odden down, attachment, rooted eld of green corn tr fi a ke li es li w no eet is rest istence I will only say, sw powers; why her ex . ot ro e th at ck ru bearing st d again that Emily like a tree in full and repeat again an t, es mp te r te af lm after labour and ca rs sincerely, knows that now.—You C. Brontë

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Top left: Choose Love founder, Josie Naughton, introduces Little Amal – a 3.5m-tall puppet, which began an epic walk across 15 countries in 2021, to raise awareness of the countless children fleeing war and persecution around the world. Bottom left: Hassan Akkad greets Little Amal. Top right: Benedict Cumberbatch meets Little Amal for the first time. Bottom right: Hassan Akkad reads a letter to Amal. Photos © Andy Paradise

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CHOOSE LOVE ARE HONOURED TO BE PARTNERING ON THIS SPECIAL EVENT WITH OUR FRIENDS, LETTERS LIVE. We believe in a world that chooses love and justice every day for everyone. Since we began in 2015, we’ve supported more than 5 million refugees and displaced people worldwide, raising over $100 million to go towards what people need most: from life-saving search and rescue, to hot food and care for children. To find out more about our work, and the amazing grassroots organisations we work with, follow @chooselove 34

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IF YOU ARE ABLE TO DONATE, PLEASE TEXT 70470 WITH CHOOSELOVE 10 TO DONATE £10 OR CHOOSELOVE 20 TO DONATE £20. Texts will cost the donation amount plus one standard network rate message, and you’ll be opting into hearing more from us. If you would like to donate but don’t wish to hear more from us, please text CHOOSELOVENOINFO (followed by amount) instead. Choose Love is a restricted fund under the auspices of Prism the Gift Fund, Charity No: 1099682.

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“Letters Live stimulates both heart and mind. In one evening, you find a safe space to be inspired.” Crystal Clarke 36

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“Letters Live feels like you are being let into little worlds you were never supposed to see, but serve as a reminder that there is more that connects us than separates. It was a brilliant night and I was so glad to be able to help raise money and awareness for a charity like First Story that provides so many opportunities for young creatives.” Anthony Welsh LETTERS LIVE I

Letters Live

Adam Ackland & Benedict Cumberbatch

Shaun Usher

In addition to their involvement in Letters Live, Adam Ackland and Benedict Cumberbatch run SunnyMarch, an independent TV and Film production company they founded together in 2013. Since launching the banner, SunnyMarch Films co-produced the Golden Globe winning,

Shaun Usher is a professional letter nerd whose obsession with old-fashioned correspondence began in 2002 when he fell in love with his future wife, Karina, by letter. This ultimately led to the 2009 launch of Letters of Note, an online museum of “correspondence

BAFTA nominated THE MAURITANIAN, starring Jodie Foster, Tahar Rahim, Benedict Cumberbatch and Shailene Woodley, Will Sharpe’s period piece THE ELECTRICAL LIFE OF LOUIS WAIN starring Cumberbatch and Claire Foy, and THE COURIER, a cold-war espionage drama directed by Dominic Cooke, starring Cumberbatch, Rachel Brosnahan and Jessie Buckley. Mahalia Belo’s debut THE END WE START FROM, starring Jodie Comer, Katherine Waterstone, Mark Strong and Cumberbatch, will be released early next year and has so far been nominated for 9 BIFAs. SunnyMarch also wrapped production on John Crowley’s WE LIVE IN TIME starring Florence Pugh and Andrew Garfield this year, and on the TV side, co-produced the Golden Globe and Emmy nominated and BAFTA winning limited series PATRICK MELROSE, and an adaptation of Ian McEwan’s CHILD IN TIME. 38

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deserving of a wider audience” which to date has been visited more than 100 million times. In 2013, the first Letters of Note book was published to wide acclaim. It soon became an international bestseller and inspired Letters Live. As of 2022, there are 14 books in the Letters of Note series.

Jamie Byng

Aimie Sullivan

Jamie Byng is the CEO of Canongate Books, the publishing house that he joined as a voluntary worker in 1992.

Aimie Sullivan has been producing shows for Letters Live since 2016 when she established a permanent production team, securing a regular roster of annual shows for the company.

Canongate has twice been Publisher of the Year (2003 and 2009) and has grown into

one of the most dynamic and successful independent publishers in the UK. Its greatest hits include Yann Martel’s Booker Prize winning Life of Pi, Barack Obama’s Dreams From my Father, the Canongate Myths series (which includes books by Margaret Atwood, Philip Pullman, Ali Smith, Jeanette Winterson, and Alexander McCall Smith), Matt Haig’s The Midnight Library and Reasons to Stay Alive, Rick Rubin’s The Creative Act, Ruth Ozeki’s The Book of Form and Emptiness, Alan Rickman’s Madly Deeply and Shaun Usher’s hugely popular anthology, Letters of Note.

She has produced over 70 shows since the

partnership began, with some of her proudest productions including Los Angeles, New York, The Good Chance Theatre in the Jungle Camp at Calais, the Chapel at Brixton Prison – broadcasting live across 120 prisons across England and Wales through National Prison Radio, not to mention 5 sold out shows at the iconic Royal Albert Hall.

The latter was a key inspiration for Letters Live, an event format that Byng developed at Canongate in 2013, before setting it up as separate company with Shaun Usher and SunnyMarch in 2015.

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Letters Live is proud to support Choose Love We would like to thank The Performers The Letter Writers The Royal Albert Hall Special thanks to Canongate Books Letters of Note SunnyMarch Kate Gibb Jude Kelly Matthew Freud Holly Dawson The Graphic Design House Bushmills Steinway & Sons Our partner Montblanc The Letters Live Team Producers Adam Ackland, Jamie Byng, Shaun Usher, Benedict Cumberbatch Executive Producer Aimie Sullivan Stage Director Sam Hunter Artist Liaison Eliza Rutland Script Production Rachel Munro Production Assistants Tom Leggat Veronique Haddelsey Afua Nuamah Raphi Samuels Permissions Manager Helen Bartlett Marketing Jen Acton www.letterslive.com 40

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“Letters Live was an unbelievable exploration of the soul. The curation of content as well as performers made space for the room to feel - it was an honor to sing to such a warm audience and invite the people to linger in the importance of their breath.” AMYRA LETTERS LIVE I

To My Old Master 1865 Jourdon Anderson to P. H. Anderson In 1864, Jourdon Anderson and his wife escaped a life of slavery and moved to Ohio. A year later, he received a desperate letter from the man who used to own him, in which he was asked to return to work on the plantation. The reply you are

soon to read was dictated by Jourdon and reprinted in numerous newspapers. Jourdon Anderson never returned to Big Spring, Tennessee. He passed away in 1907, aged 81, and is buried alongside his wife and eleven children.

The Letter Dayton, Ohio, August 7, 1865

Big Spring, Tennessee To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Jourdon, and that you wanted me to to find that you had not forgotten Sir: I got your letter, and was glad ody else can. I have often felt promising to do better for me than anyb come back and live with you again, for harboring Rebs they this, e befor ees would have hung you long uneasy about you. I thought the Yank el Martin’s to kill the Union never heard about your going to Colon found at your house. I suppose they me twice before I left you, I at shot you in their stable. Although soldier that was left by his company g. It would do me good to go back hurt, and am glad you are still livin did not want to hear of your being Esther, Green, and Lee. Give my , Allen and Miss Mary and Miss Martha to the dear old home again, and see not in this. I would have gone we will meet in the better world, if love to them all, and tell them I hope of the neighbors told me that one but tal, ing in the Nashville Hospi back to see you all when I was work got a chance. Henry intended to shoot me if he ever me. I am doing tolerably well good chance is you propose to give I want to know particularly what the comfortable home for Mandy,— a have ing; , with victuals and cloth here. I get twenty-five dollars a month to school and are learning the children—Milly, Jane, and Grundy—go the folks call her Mrs. Anderson,—and l, and Mandy and me schoo ay Sund to go head for a preacher. They well. The teacher says Grundy has a g, “Them colored people sayin s y treated. Sometimes we overhear other attend church regularly. We are kindl but I tell them it ks; remar such hear they children feel hurt when were slaves” down in Tennessee. The been proud, as I have d woul g to Colonel Anderson. Many darkeys was no disgrace in Tennessee to belon me, I will be better give will you s wage what you will write and say used to be, to call you master. Now if my advantage to move back again. able to decide whether it would be to on that score, as I got my free have, there is nothing to be gained As to my freedom, which you say I can ville. Mandy says she would be Nash of tment l-General of the Depar papers in 1864 from the Provost-Marsha y and kindly; and we have that you were disposed to treat us justl afraid to go back without some proof we served you. This will time the for s wage our asking you to send us concluded to test your sincerity by the future. I served in dship s, and rely on your justice and frien make us forget and forgive old score a month for me, and rs dolla e y-fiv twent At . , and Mandy twenty years you faithfully for thirty-two years red and eighty hund six ings would amount to eleven thousand two dollars a week for Mandy, our earn t what you paid deduc and back, kept been have the time our wages balance will dollars. Add to this the interest for the and y, Mand visits to me, and pulling a tooth for of V. Winters, for our clothing, and three doctor’s care in ess, Expr s’s Adam by money to. Please send the faith in your e show what we are in justice entitled littl have can we us for faithful labors in the past, you and your Esq., Dayton, Ohio. If you fail to pay which gs wron the to eyes your d good Maker has opene promises in the future. We trust the ations without recompense. rs, in making us toil for you for gener fathe my and me to done have rs fathe any pay-day for the negroes never was there night; but in Tennessee Here I draw my wages every Saturday for those who defraud the ning Surely there will be a day of recko any more than for the horses and cows. laborer of his hire. Milly and Jane, who are now if there would be any safety for my In answering this letter, please state and Catherine. I would da . You know how it was with poor Matil grown up, and both good-looking girls ht to shame by the broug girls my have than if it come to that— rather stay here and starve—and die, has been any schools there if g masters. You will also please state violence and wickedness of their youn is to give my now life my of e desir great The your neighborhood. opened for the colored children in form virtuous habits. children an education, and have them when you were shooting at me. k him for taking the pistol from you Say howdy to George Carter, and than From your old servant, Jourdon Anderson.

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Give women the vote 1913 Bertha Brewster to Daily Telegraph In 1903, desperate for women to be granted the same rights as men, a group of frustrated activists began to protest aggressively by smashing windows, burning down buildings, chaining

themselves to Buckingham Palace, and spending time in prison, all in an effort to be heard. On February 26th, 1913, a letter appeared in the Daily Telegraph, written by a suffragette.

The Letter

S ir , E v e r y o n e se e m s to a g r e e u po n th e n o f pu tt in g a st o p to S u ff r a g is t o u tr ae ce ss it y n o o n e se e m s ce r ta in h o w to d o so . T g e s; bu t tw o , a n d o n ly tw o , w a y s in w h ic h th h e r e a r e is ca n be d o n e . B o th w il l be e ff e ct u a l. 1. K il l e v e r y w o m a n in th e U n it e d K in gdom. 2 . G iv e w o m e n th e v o te . Y o u r s tr u ly , B e r th a B r e w st e r

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Engagement As a charity, the Royal Albert Hall believes in providing an Engagement programme that enriches people’s lives and offers fairer access to the arts.

The programme offers subsidised or free arts activities, which enable specific groups to access the Hall in a way that suits them. We work alongside specialist partner

organisations to create a programme that is informed by inclusive practice and takes inspiration from the Hall’s architecture, history and events. In 2022, we launched Future Makers as part of our drive to develop and support new musical talent. The concert gives young musicians the opportunity to perform their own music in front of a live audience, and the chance to receive a tailored package of support from the Royal Albert Hall and industry partners.

In October last year, we welcomed young people with multiple and profound learning disabilities on a Sensory Journey around the Royal Albert Hall. Produced in support of the West London Inclusive Arts Festival, the experience was led by a specialist facilitator and gave participants the opportunity to explore the Hall through a range of multisensory and immersive environments. Find out more: royalalberthall.com/engagement

“Where the Royal Albert Hall have been truly remarkable is...they very much came to the schools and said we want to be led by you. To bring our students, who do find accessing the arts very difficult, into a setting that is safe... you can really see the very best in them. And to do that in the Royal Albert Hall was arguably one of the most remarkable things that any pupil could ever experience.” – James Rigby, Teacher QEII Jubilee School about our Sensory Journeys project

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