By Emma
Link: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=71G_imi-aBA
Available until: 29th March at about 7pm
I only watched the first Letters Live a few days ago because we didn’t know about it (it’s hard keeping track of everything) but I’m so glad we found out about this because it’s really lovely.
Some of the letters are really personal and I did kind of wonder if the writers and the people who received the letters would be happy for them to be read out publicly like this. There were some letters which seemed really emotional but the audience were laughing. But I think they’d probably have to have got permission from someone or they’d get sued so maybe it’s best if I just enjoy the performance and not worry about that.
Like last time, there were lots of celebrities to read the letters but a big difference with this one is that there were often two actors onstage at once, with one reading the first letter and the other one reading a reply to it. I really like this because you got a sense of the full relationship between the two people, not just one side of it.
The actors include Benedict Cumberbatch and Louise Brealey from Sherlock. They read two letters, including one together which was one of my favourites. A signalman in North Africa in the war writes to an old work colleague, not really sure what to expect but it becomes a regular thing and the two letters in this show are really lovely. He is quite formal and she is quite naughty but opposites attract.
The others include Claire Foy reading a letter with lots of toilet humour, Alan Carr reading an understandably anonymous letter from a man to his insurance company about an injury he received in a public toilet (if you’re put off by this, don’t worry, it’s just the first two letters) and a really emotional couple of letters between a father and son, read by Colin Salmon (who is really intense and just brilliant) and Jordan Stephens, a popstar who can act so well, he really doesn’t look stupid next to Colin Salmon.
There’s also a Guardian reader who has a really interesting viewpoint on Burqas and other clothing choices (it’s not racist), a really unusual proposal of marriage and really funny response (read by Olivia Colman) to a Sultan’s request to surrender. I didn’t like the letter from George Bernard Shaw because that was really mean but at least it means I don’t have to feel guilty anymore that I haven’t read any of his plays.
It’s a really lovely and interesting show. I hope there
will be another one next week.
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