Daniel Craig, Rose Ayling-Ellis and Jack Thorne read letters to future selves

Former James Bond actor Daniel Craig, Strictly Come Dancing winner Rose Ayling-Ellis and Adolescence co-writer Jack Thorne have performed readings of letters to younger future selves at a gala to celebrate 70 years of the National Youth Theatre.

The event was also attended by comedian Katherine Ryan, journalist Krishnan Guru-Murthy and former Doctor Who writer Steven Moffat, while further stars including actresses Dame Judi Dench, Dame Joan Collins and Lashana Lynch have written letters to be included in an upcoming commemorative book.

At the event, held at London’s Royal Festival Hall on Saturday, Thorne, 47, read from a letter he had written himself: “Enjoy your hair, in 31 years time even the idea of a quiff will be an ancient bitter memory.”

He concluded his letter with a plea to his younger self to “be kind to others” and “try to do better than you do”.

Rose Ayling Ellis read her own letter during the event (Ian West/PA)

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Code Of Silence actress Ayling-Ellis said in her letter: “No matter how hard you tried, you never quite fitted in. Until one day, you just stopped trying. You allowed yourself to be Deaf.

“The silence forced you inward. You learnt to love the quietness of outside and listen to the loudness of inside. And in that loudness, you found your community, your language, your culture.”

Reading a letter written by playwright James Graham, Craig told the audience that “the most important invention in the history of civilisation was stopping, standing still”, before adding “I don’t want any future that’s inevitable”.

Thorne told his younger self to ‘enjoy your hair’ (Jeff Moore/PA)

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Craig dedicated the letter to “those here who stopped, who stayed, who planted seeds, and grew things”.

The National Youth Theatre offers free alternatives to formal training and masterclasses for young people looking to get into the arts.