Past event

Letters Live presents The Thing with Feathers

Date:
6 November 2025

A one-off live cinema event with Benedict Cumberbatch and guests to celebrate The Thing With Feathers, the film adaptation of the award-winning novel by Max Porter.

 

On Thursday 6th November 2025 we brought a ‘mini’ Letters Live to Vue West End, with Benedict Cumberbatch and secret guests reading extraordinary letters, followed by an early screening of the film.

 

This special Letters Live show was live-streamed at cinemas around the UK, prior to an advance screening of the film.

Running Order

(Click dates to expand/collapse)

Thursday 6th November
Caitlin Moran

 

What do you want from life?

David Lavelle to The Telegraph

 

Shine, constantly and steadily

Caitlin Moran to Lizzie Moran

 

 

Benedict Cumberbatch

 

Dear Empress Hotel

Nick Burchill to Empress Hotel

 

Grief is non-negotiable

Nick Cave to Cynthia

 

 

Meera Syal

 

The Peacock Feather

Rainer Rilke to a friend

 

I will be there in the trees

Kathleen Keyes to Irish Times

 

 

Louise Brealey

 

I’m amputating you

Frida Kahlo to Diego Rivera

 

Like a tree in full bearing

Charlotte Bronte to W.S. Williams

 

 

Max Porter

 

The raven is no more

Charles Dickens to Daniel Maclise

 

 

 

With thanks to all the rightsholders:
Nick Burchill to The Empress Hotel © Nick Burchill; Nick Cave to Cynthia © Nick Cave; Andre Gregory to Richard Avedon © Andre Gregory; Kathleen Keyes to The Irish Times © Kathleen Keyes; David Lavelle to The Telegraph © David Lavelle; Caitlin Moran to Lizzie Moran © Caitlin Moran