‘A letter is a private thing,” says Sanjeev Bhaskar. “When you’re reading a letter, you hear the other person’s private voice. So, if you read it out loud, you’re speaking in their voice, their private voice. But if you’re reading it in front of an audience, it’s for the audience, too. So the whole thing is both public and private. It’s not as simple as you think.”
Welcome to Letters Live! Well, welcome to backstage at Letters Live at the Royal Albert Hall. We’re in the Artists’ Bar in the basement, where various famous people, mostly actors, are preparing to read out letters – some funny, some touching – in front of an audience of 5,000 people. Tonight is the 10th anniversary of Letters Live, a birthday celebration. There’s a table with nibbles, a bar with cocktails and the vibe is friendly and collaborative, with people saying hi to old friends, introducing themselves to others. In the corner, there’s an artist drawing pictures; someone from a whisky company is offering engraved bottles to the celebrities for them to take home. Everything, and everyone, seems relaxed.
