Review – People of Letters
The Women of Letters concept, the brainchild of Marieke Hardy and Michaela McGuire, has developed a rabid following in recent years, due in large part to the unpredictability of the show. At each show, 5 different artists share a letter they have written on a particular subject. As the name suggests, People of Letters includes artists of both genders, and also features the recipients in attendance to provide their responses.
The format of the show dictates that the quality of any given night hinges on the willingness of guests to enter into the exercise of letter writing in good faith, with an eye to the intended reader, not to the audience to which you will be sharing it with. Comedian Steady Eddy brought the Spiegeltent to tears with his genuine and emotional outpouring to his sister, Lee Widows, whilst Poh Ling Yeow gave a candid insight into the two faces of fame. Unfortunately, not all participants embraced the concept in the manner intended.
A risk inherent in the format of the show is that some participants will use their captive audience as an opportunity to preach, or worse, plug their wares. Political cartoonist First Dog on the Moon and his former editor Sophie Black either didn’t grasp the concept or, if they did, chose to disregard it completely. Instead of drafting individual letters, they presented the audience with a joint power point presentation espousing the virtues of the artist’s comic strip (at one point he even raised aloft an item of merchandise). During their entire torrid display, I lurched from nausea to seething rage. Thankfully, the sincere contributions of other performers atoned for their shameful display.
