Cunard and Letters Live to celebrate seafaring letters with one-night event at Queen Elizabeth Hall

Cunard, the British cruise line, has announced a new collaboration with Letters Live, the performance series that brings historical and contemporary letters to the stage. The joint project, titled The Hours Between, will culminate in a one-night presentation at Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre on Thursday 22^nd January. The show will celebrate the art of letter writing, particularly those penned at sea, and all its proceeds will be donated to The King’s Trust, a charity supporting young people across the UK.

The series features a rotating cast of well-known performers reading missives written during moments of travel, introspection and discovery. Organisers have so far kept the line-up for The Hours Between under wraps, but previous events have featured actors such as Benedict Cumberbatch, Olivia Colman, Gillian Anderson, Jude Law and Stephen Fry.

The collaboration draws on Cunard’s long history of association with writers, artists and thinkers, many of whom – including Virginia Woolf, Noël Coward, Elizabeth Taylor and David Bowie – found creative inspiration during ocean voyages. January’s event aims to honour this literary legacy by spotlighting correspondence written at sea and exploring the emotional and historical significance of letter writing in a digital age. Katie McAlister, president of Cunard, said: “At Cunard, we believe that travel offers more than a change of scenery. It creates space to reflect, to be inspired and to connect with what matters. Our collaboration with Letters Live celebrates that belief, bringing together two storytelling traditions, one on stage and one at sea, in a way that feels both timeless and profoundly moving.”

Shaun Usher, co-producer of Letters Live, added: “For generations, travellers have looked to the sea for perspective – a place where distance inspires reflection, and letters find their voice. Partnering with Cunard to honour that history through Letters Live is a natural meeting of worlds, and it’s wonderful to know this event will support The King’s Trust and its work with young people.”

Tickets are on sale now.

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The Hours Between will be presented at Letters Live in Association with Cunard on 22^nd January 2026 at Queen Elizabeth Hall at the Southbank Centre. For further information or to book tickets, visit here.