Secret Policeman’s Other Ball, The (1982)

Following the success of a film featuring the comedy and musical highlights of the third Amnesty International charity concert in London in 1979 – released as The Secret Policeman’s Ball – the fourth Amnesty International Concert in 1982 was also filmed and released as The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball.

Performed in the aid of charity, the Amnesty International Concert presented 24 top personalities from the worlds of music and comedy staged over four consecutive nights (9 – 12 September 1981) at London’s Theatre Royal in Drury Lane.

The originator of the event, John Cleese, collected together the talents of Jeff Beck, Eric Clapton, Donovan, Bob Geldof, Sting, Phil Collins (the first time he had sung and performed solo on the piano), Midge Ure, Sheena Easton and Johnnie Fingers (from The Boomtown Rats) from the world of music.

They were joined by an all-star cast of comedians, including Rowan Atkinson, Billy Connolly, Victoria Wood, Pamela Stephenson, Alexei Sayle (who performed “What’s On in Stoke Newington”), Griff Rhys Jones, Graham Chapman, Tim Brooke-Taylor, Jasper Carrott, John Fortune, and Barry Humphries (as Dame Edna Everage).

Two vinyl soundtrack LPs for the film were released, one of the comedy sketches and one of the musical acts.

Rowan Atkinson
Jeff Beck
Alan Bennett
John Bird
Tim Brooke-Taylor
Graham Chapman
Eric Clapton
John Cleese
Phil Collins
Billy Connolly
Donovan
John Fortune
Chris Langham
Griff Rhys Jones
Alexei Sayle
Pamela Stephenson
Sting
Victoria Wood
Michael Palin
David Rappaport
Jasper Carrott
Peter Cook
Sheena Easton
Bob Geldof
Tom Robinson
Midge Ure
Johnnie Fingers
Neil Innes
Barry Humphries

Director
Roger Graef
Julien Temple

Video