Following two sold out shows in 2022, Letters Live has announced its return to the Royal Albert Hall on Thursday 16 November 2023. This show will be staged in association with Montblanc, who have become global sponsors of Letters Live, and 2023 also marks the 10th anniversary of the first Letters Live event.
Image credit: Andy Paradise
Originally inspired by Shaun Usher’s international best-selling Letters of Note series and Simon Garfield’s To the Letter, Letters Live is a celebration of the enduring power of literary correspondence in front of large audiences. Each event hosts a different array of star-studded performers being paired with remarkable letters from across the ages. One of the additional draws for audiences is that the event is renowned for keeping its line-up of performers secret until they take to the stage.
Image credit: Andy Paradise
The event first premiered at West London’s Tabernacle venue in December 2013. Since then, it has grown in popularity, travelling throughout the UK, Europe and the US, hosting performances in a variety of spaces, from prisons to refugee camps, concert halls and festivals. Letters Live made its debut at the Royal Albert Hall in 2019 to critical acclaim, resulting in return productions in 2021 and 2022 respectively.
Image credit: Andy Paradise
The letters read are equally unpredictable, varied and ultimately memorable. Where some express anger or pain, others delight the audiences with wisdom and humour to create a remarkably compelling experience for those in attendance. Over the years, letters from the likes of David Bowie, Janis Joplin, Che Guevara, Elvis Presley, Charles Dickens, Emily Dickinson, James Baldwin and cartoon character Marge Simpson have been performed, while past performers have included co-producer Benedict Cumberbatch, Gillian Anderson, Lawrence Fishburne, Kylie Minogue, Sir Ian McKellen, Sally Hawkins, Jude Law, Chimamanda Ngozi Adichie and Olivia Colman and musical performances from the likes of Thom Yorke, Nick Cave, Laura Mvula, The Gabriels and Max Richter.
Jamie Byng, co-producer of Letters Live said, “We could not be happier about returning to the Royal Albert Hall this Autumn as our shows in this historic venue have become a regular fixture in the Letters Live calendar and are ones that we always look forward to with great anticipation. This year seems an especially momentous one for Letters Live, given it is our tenth birthday, and I am confident that the show we produce this November is going to be as memorable and affecting as anything we have ever staged.”
Image credit: Andy Paradise
Director of Programming and Engagement at the Royal Albert Hall, Matthew Todd, said, “We are delighted to welcome Letters Live back to the Hall for the fourth time. To be able to host this event as it celebrates its tenth anniversary is a real privilege. Having such a varied but equally captivating production each year is incredibly exciting. The mystery surrounding the performers just adds to the anticipation, and this show has quickly become one of the highlights in our calendar.”
Tickets are available for Friends and Patrons of the Royal Albert Hall on Thu 11 May at 10am, with general on-sale from Fri 12 May at 10am on the Royal Albert Hall website www.royalalberthall.com
For details on venue hire at the Royal Albert Hall please contact: meetingsandevents@royalalberthall.com