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Letters Live
Registrace 18. 12. 2014
LETTERS LIVE is a series of live events celebrating the power of literary correspondence. Inspired by Shaun Usher's Letters of Note, Letters Live is an initiative by publishing company Canongate and Benedict Cumberbatch’s production company SunnyMarch. It has become a phenomenon wherever is has played in the UK.
The idea of LETTERS LIVE is simple: we ask talented, inspiring and high-profile artists from various disciplines to read letters out loud to our audiences. LETTERS LIVE celebrates letter writing and the art of correspondence first and foremost.
The idea of LETTERS LIVE is simple: we ask talented, inspiring and high-profile artists from various disciplines to read letters out loud to our audiences. LETTERS LIVE celebrates letter writing and the art of correspondence first and foremost.
Tony Robinson reads a hilariously grumpy letter from a father to a son
Sunday Times racing correspondent Roger Mortimer spent 25 years writing to his only son, Charlie, and in 2012, many of those amusing, touching, exasperated, gossip-filled missives were collected to form the book, Dear Lupin. This is just one, written in 1978 when Charlie was working away from home.
None other than Sir Tony Robinson joined us to read this brilliantly funny letter at Letters Live at London's Royal Albert Hall in March 2024.
None other than Sir Tony Robinson joined us to read this brilliantly funny letter at Letters Live at London's Royal Albert Hall in March 2024.
zhlédnutí: 58 899
Video
Angélique Kidjo reads a letter to the girls of the world
zhlédnutí 6KPřed dnem
Born in West Africa in 1960, music legend Angélique Kidjo was immersed in the world of music and dance from an early age thanks to her mother, an acclaimed choreographer and theatre director. In 2013, with thirteen albums under her belt, a Grammy award to her name, and numerous plaudits for her continued activism, Kidjo chose to impart some hard-earned wisdom to the girls of the world, by way o...
Benedict Cumberbatch reads a letter of apology from a father to his children
zhlédnutí 50KPřed 21 dnem
In 2021, Stuart Capstick, deputy director at the Centre for Climate Change & Social Transformations in Cardiff, wrote a letter to his children. Benedict Cumberbatch joined us to read it at Letters Live in March 2024 at London's Royal Albert Hall. Copyright: Stuart Capstick, 2019 This letter is a part of the Letters to the Earth campaign, which began in 2019, when the British public were invited...
Jodie Whittaker reads a life-affirming letter written by a terminal cancer patient
zhlédnutí 20KPřed 28 dny
Heather McManamy was in her early thirties when she was diagnosed with terminal cancer. She died in December 2015, aged 36, and as the end grew closer she wrote the following letter, to be shared with friends and family after her death. Jodie Whittaker joined us to read it at Letters Live at the Royal Albert Hall in November 2023.
Sara Pascoe reads a hilarious letter asking for clarity on God's Law
zhlédnutí 187KPřed měsícem
At the turn of the century, the following letter was sent to Dr. Laura, a US radio personality who regularly and publicly deemed homosexuality to be a “mistake of nature.” A copy of the letter soon reached the masses, and now we bring it to you. Comedian and writer Sara Pascoe joined us to read it at Letters Live at London's Royal Albert Hall in March 2023. © J Kent Ashcroft
Damian Lewis reads a hilarious letter from a girls' football team coach
zhlédnutí 113KPřed měsícem
When he sent the letter you're about to watch in March of 2009, Michael Kinahan was the coach of a football team in Massachusetts consisting of seven-year-old girls. Sadly for him, many of the letter’s recipients-the girls’ parents-failed to see the funny side of his “playful” letter and complained to league officials. Kinahan resigned from the role days later. Damian Lewis joined us to read Mi...
Gillian Anderson reads Katherine Mansfield's charming letter about twins
zhlédnutí 29KPřed měsícem
In 1919, New Zealand author Katherine Mansfield wrote the following letter to her friend, the American painter Anne Estelle Rice, who was heavily pregnant with twins - one of whom Mansfield had affectionately named “Marigold.” Gillian Anderson joined us to read this gorgeous letter at Letters Live's 10th anniversary show at London's Royal Albert Hall in November 2023.
Dame Harriet Walter reads a letter about sexuality in middle age
zhlédnutí 17KPřed 2 měsíci
In 1981, experimental artist Carolee Schneemann unveiled "Fresh Blood," an 11-minute-long nude performance piece in which she explored menstrual blood's cultural and symbolic meanings, immersing viewers in a provocative exploration of the female body. Shortly after it opened, Schneemann wrote the following letter to friend and fellow artist Dick Higgins, who had been in touch since witnessing h...
Angela Rayner reads a hilarious letter about Rishi Sunak's government
zhlédnutí 19KPřed 2 měsíci
In February 2024, the following letter was sent to the Guardian newspaper. To read it, the Shadow Deputy Prime Minister of the United Kingdom, Angela Rayner, joined us at Letters Live at the Royal Albert Hall in March 2024 - at a special show to celebrate International Women's Day. © Terry O’Hara to the Guardian
Louisa Harland reads Sharon Horgan’s powerful letter to all men
zhlédnutí 24KPřed 2 měsíci
In 2016, during a rare moment of calm, actress, writer, director and producer Sharon Horgan found time to write a letter of great importance - addressed to the men of the world. At Letters Live at the Royal Albert Hall in the week of International Women’s Day 2024, Louisa Harland joined us to read it.
Benedict Cumberbatch reads one of Alexei Navalny's final letters
zhlédnutí 348KPřed 2 měsíci
Last month Vladimir Putin’s most prominent critic, Alexei Navalny, paid the ultimate price for his beliefs, dying in a West Siberian prison after years of relentless campaigning against corruption and a near-fatal poisoning. By the time of his death, Navalny had been imprisoned for more than two years, during which time he wrote to his supporters and the wider world through letters shared on hi...
Jason Isaacs reads a gloriously grumpy letter written by the creator of Withnail & I
zhlédnutí 42KPřed 2 měsíci
In 1987, the year Withnail & I was released, its creator, Bruce Robinson, wrote a letter to his friend and star of the film, Richard E. Grant, who at the time was away filming in Israel. Jason Isaacs joined us to read it at Letters Live at Wilderness Festival, Oxfordshire, in the summer of 2023.
Taron Egerton reads a love letter written by Welsh poet Dylan Thomas
zhlédnutí 35KPřed 3 měsíci
In July of 1936, months after meeting 22-year-old dancer Caitlin Macnamara, Welsh poet Dylan Thomas wrote her the love letter you will now hear. They married the next year, and so began a tempestuous relationship that was fuelled by excesses of all kinds. Taron Egerton joined us to give a brilliant reading of this letter at Wilderness Festival 2023 in the Oxfordshire countryside, UK. © The Dyla...
Gillian Anderson reads Anaïs Nin's passionate letter about sex and poetry
zhlédnutí 53KPřed 3 měsíci
In 1932, Cuban diarist Anaïs Nin and American novelist Henry Miller began an incredibly intense love affair that would last for many years. In the 1940s, at which point she, Miller, and a collective of other writers were earning $1 per page writing erotic fiction for the private consumption of an anonymous client known only as the “Collector,” Nin wrote a passionate letter to this mysterious fi...
Kae Tempest performs 'People's Faces' at the Royal Albert Hall
zhlédnutí 18KPřed 3 měsíci
Kae Tempest performs “People’s Faces” accompanied by Dan Carey, closing out the Letters Live 10th anniversary show at the Royal Albert Hall. For more about Kae Tempest: kaetempest kaetempest kaetempest www.tiktok.com/@kaetempest www.kaetempest.co.uk/
Rob Delaney reads a letter sent by an Ancient Roman who had been stood up
zhlédnutí 54KPřed 3 měsíci
Rob Delaney reads a letter sent by an Ancient Roman who had been stood up
Tobias Menzies reads Evelyn Waugh's blisteringly funny letter about his fans
zhlédnutí 50KPřed 4 měsíci
Tobias Menzies reads Evelyn Waugh's blisteringly funny letter about his fans
Harnaam Kaur reads her own powerful letter about self love
zhlédnutí 12KPřed 4 měsíci
Harnaam Kaur reads her own powerful letter about self love
Jodie Whittaker reads Peter Capaldi's letter to a 9-year-old Doctor Who fan
zhlédnutí 143KPřed 4 měsíci
Jodie Whittaker reads Peter Capaldi's letter to a 9-year-old Doctor Who fan
Edie Falco reads a letter to white supremacists
zhlédnutí 405KPřed 4 měsíci
Edie Falco reads a letter to white supremacists
Sanjeev Bhaskar reads Spike Milligan's hilarious letter home during WWII
zhlédnutí 266KPřed 4 měsíci
Sanjeev Bhaskar reads Spike Milligan's hilarious letter home during WWII
10 years of Letters Live: the highlights
zhlédnutí 18KPřed 5 měsíci
10 years of Letters Live: the highlights
Minnie Driver reads a letter about a disastrous encounter with some wax strips
zhlédnutí 213KPřed 5 měsíci
Minnie Driver reads a letter about a disastrous encounter with some wax strips
Tom Odell performs Black Friday at the Royal Albert Hall
zhlédnutí 80KPřed 5 měsíci
Tom Odell performs Black Friday at the Royal Albert Hall
Stephen Fry reads Nick Cave's stirring letter about ChatGPT and human creativity
zhlédnutí 555KPřed 5 měsíci
Stephen Fry reads Nick Cave's stirring letter about ChatGPT and human creativity
Benedict Cumberbatch reads a notoriously grumpy Irish playwright's letter of complaint
zhlédnutí 169KPřed 5 měsíci
Benedict Cumberbatch reads a notoriously grumpy Irish playwright's letter of complaint
Olivia Colman reads a novelist's (rather funny) complaint letter to a funeral parlour
zhlédnutí 228KPřed 5 měsíci
Olivia Colman reads a novelist's (rather funny) complaint letter to a funeral parlour
Laurence Fishburne reads a former slave's incredible letter to his old master
zhlédnutí 1,3MPřed 6 měsíci
Laurence Fishburne reads a former slave's incredible letter to his old master
Rob Rinder reads a judge's moving letter to two children after a bitter custody case
zhlédnutí 59KPřed 6 měsíci
Rob Rinder reads a judge's moving letter to two children after a bitter custody case
Taron Egerton reads Elton John's letter of advice to his 16-year-old self
zhlédnutí 37KPřed 6 měsíci
Taron Egerton reads Elton John's letter of advice to his 16-year-old self
Most of us sit and act as critics and armchair actions-that-should-be-taken. Gandhi was a man of action. Even if the chances were futile, even if it were a one in a billion chance, he chose to do what he could do to stop Hitler, by appealing to his humanity. If I were alive at that time, would I have done that? Or would have sat hand in hand, helpless in the knowledge that I can do nothing. What we must get is Gandhi’s unstoppability and his trust in the soul of every human being.
This made me sad. 😢
😂
Doesn't the West Wing use this letter in one of their episodes?
Mud pack?
Is he channelling Donald Trump
Hello, Thank you for sharing this letter reading... I cannot help but reflect on "The Day of Reckoning". For all those passed and gone and the injustice to living, I have faith in knowing that this Day of Reckoning will be a mighty day.... A Mighty Day... Thank you.
Brilliant!! lol ;-)
Who is she?
One of the funniest things ever... he got me in stiches,...🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣 PS:. hope the poor man got paid!
Hearing this creates a picture in my mind of spreading sweet jam (extra special powerful love and forgiveness for mankind that God gave the African culture) on a slice of white bread!🙃😍
Imagine. Sheriff Presley.
I'm only 2 minutes in and laughing so much it turned into a coughing fit. I love Tony from Time Team, and he is the perfect fit for these acerbic, droll letters.
The Leviticus passage of which you speak did not appear in any bible till 1944 or 1945.
Facts about slavery over 7000 slave owners was black man .
This is straight plagiarism from the West Wing.
You know, I truly like many things that I see in T.H. as the Super Celeb. Someone who can dance, funny, and entertaining to the core! However, I don't want to be caught in the situation of having some homo dudes stalking me all over the places. (It had happened!) I also want you all to keep it in mind. Complimenting someone is one thing, that we all have the right to do. Even if that person has hundreds of wives or lovers all over the world. If you are married to, or if you are involved with a celeb. That is the personal matter, that you would have to deal within your relationship, and not his fans! His fans can never do any wrong for reaching out to him, with a line or two: "Oh! I'm so inlove with you, Tom." "I love you, Tom." and certainly, I've heard one stripper said: "Tom Hiddleston! You are the reason, that I became a stripper." Regardless of what she had said, and how the world viewed it. It only mattered to T. H. of how he reacted to such a complement in person, and how he had viewed it. As one of the number one, the top class male celebs, I've heard Tom Hiddleston said it out loud during an interview, that he enjoys sweets, and that he has every right to eat as much cakes as he wants. Nobody can stop him! This is one of the examples, that I want to point out to you. Tom Hiddleston had no problem with how his fans had approached him, even in person. If you are his wife or lover. That would be your problem to deal with Tom Hiddleston. So, don't look for that poor stripper. Regardless of her full intents! Don't follow me and harrass me because I'm telling you the truth. I love listening to literature and poetry that Tom Hiddleston reads. I love watching him dance. I also think that T.H. is talented. When I happen to leave a poetry to compliment T.H. out of an instant reaction upon my view on a song or the photos of Tom Hiddleston, that I've seen. I'm asking, that you would just leave it alone. Let Tom Hiddleston's fans enjoy the kind messages that his fans have to say about him. That is one of the ways that fans know how to brag about their idols, to make him more famous! I kindly advise you: "Don't look for me at my favourite hang out spot, dont come up to me and make your comments with threats. Don't tell me to look for another boyfriend and so on." I'm not Tom Hiddleston's girlfriend nor am I his lover. My lover is just an ordinary small town dude, who is intelligent, talented, and handsome only in my eyes. My lover is single, only inlove with me, and he's only involved with me. My lover is not a celeb like T.H. I don't ever have to worry about sharing my lover with the world. I know my limit, and that is not sharing. People, I'm not using the internet to go after your men for that sweet romance here. I'm not interested. I have my own lover, and not on the internet! Thanks for reading.
Roman Atkinson would do this one justice too😂👍
The worst is that a lot of them have broken locks (I think even intentionally by the management), so you have to hold the damned door closed.
Well delivered. He's learned something from his south park days when they couldn't get him to "emote"!
That was great😂
Toni is the best.
Isn't this just a rip off of a scene in the smuggest TV show ever made, ie the West Wing?
Life goals.
Someone with the same attitude as my father 😂😂😂😂😂
He's a GOSSIP 😂😂😂😂😂
I could listen to this for hours.
"Can you say penguin?" "Penwing??"
I didn't know Elvis wrote in an English accent
❤❤❤
That's perfect!
There are no fossil fuels. And in the 70's and 80's...we already were having the discussion. Still wondering about No Fossil Fuels....ya ya might wanna go look up where "oil" and "gas" come from.
Excellent work Baldric
Baldric got really articulate as he aged
These Dear Lupin letters were hilarious and for once Tony gets the flavour wrong.
A couple of those were from Jed Barlett's scolding of a religious nutcase on the TV series, "The West Wing"
Ok , well since he's negotiating he forgot to deduct every night room and board. Slave quarters were as good single room shack that poor whites lived in. Fair market value of land times how many years?. Any price for the food scraps plus, every time tools broke, etc.
I love Rand
Dear Dr Pascoe: is that letter _really true_ or was it composed for comedic effect? It is so hard to tell the difference nowadays... 🤣
Jed Bartlett said it first, czcams.com/video/AIHjoT19XpE/video.htmlsi=RJmEQhF5J_1xHoBk
I feel like we're kindred spirits, this grumpy old man and I.
Adoring fan? Hmmm, sounds a bit like idolatry to me
Too true to be funny.
Have to agree 100%
The last line explains all the sour observations.
Didnt Kingsley play Ghandi?
Straight from "The West Wing", Allen Sorkis. Just sayin'.
I found that to be hilarious, back then. But it shows a real, earnest problem. For some reason I will never understand, the people who call themselves "Christians" in the US always refer to the the Old Testament or (even worse) to the Book of Revelation. Rarely, if ever, do they quote something out of the 4 gospels, something Jesus Christ did or said. Perhaps because they think he was a commie?
Did this wife work full time then come home and do all or most of the cooking, cleaning, and childcare? Was this man good at it? If not, did he try, like did he ask her how 2 be better? Was she menopausal or having other problems that make it unpleasant? I suspect this man only cared about his wants and needs. I didn't hear any asking if she was okay, pointing out she used 2 like it and asking what's changed, or what he can do 2 rekindle the flame.
I helped do Peter Capaldi’s plumbing years ago when I was an apprentice, such a nice guy to meet really laid back 🤙🏻