Letters Live, Los Angeles

WHAT: The first-ever public performance of Letters Live in the United States.

WHERE: The historic Theatre at the Ace Hotel Downtown Los Angeles.

WHO: Jake Gyllenhaal, Anjelica Huston, Stephen Fry, Catherine Keener, Mark Hamill, Isla Fisher, Shirley Manson, James Corden, Ian McShane, Annabelle Wallis, Jarvis Cocker and Lucy Yeomans, with musical performances by Benjamin Booker, Benjamin Clementine and Reggie Watts.

Letters Live, which celebrates the enduring power of literary correspondence by staging readings of thematic letters, performed by actors, musicians and cultural icons, held its first-ever public performance in the US on Monday. An incredible cast of performers gathered to take the 1,400-strong audience through a rollercoaster of emotions, reading a collection of letters by the likes of Evelyn Waugh, Katharine Hepburn, Maya Angelou and Martin Scorsese that were variously poignant, chilling, hilarious and powerful. Net profits from the ticket sales will go to two charities – 826LA, a Los Angeles-based non-profit organization dedicated to supporting students with creative writing skills, and Women for Women International, a charity which helps female survivors of war. After the show, event sponsors NET-A-PORTER and MR PORTER hosted an after-party on the rooftop of The Ace Hotel.