Jude Law reading Fred Allen’s letter to the State of New York Insurance Dept.

Jude Law reads Fred Allen’s 1932 letter to the State of New York Insurance Department. Born in Cambridge, Massachusetts in 1894, it was during the Golden Age of Radio in the 1930s that American comedian and radio host Fred Allen became a household name. His success on the airwaves is undisputed, as at the peak of its gag-filled, 17-year run, The Fred Allen Show boasted upwards of 30 million listeners. But it wasn’t until a decade after his death, upon publication of a collection of his greatest letters, that the public learnt of Allen’s devotion to this altogether more private form of communication, one which allowed him to practice his comedy in front of an audience of one. Arguably his most amusing letter was a complaint, written in 1932, most probably never sent, and addressed to the State of New York Insurance Department. Originally performed at the Freemason’s Hall, London in March 2016.