The Secret Policeman's Other Ball was the fourth of the benefit shows staged by the British Section of Amnesty International

Amnesty International

Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...

 to raise funds for its research and campaign work in the human rights

Human rights

Human rights are "commonly understood as inalienable fundamental rights to which a person is inherently entitled simply because she or he is a human being." Human rights are thus conceived as universal and egalitarian . These rights may exist as natural rights or as legal rights, in both national...

 field. It was the second of many shows to bear the celebrated Secret Policeman's title that became the iconic series known informally as The Secret Policeman's Balls

The Secret Policeman's Balls

The Secret Policeman's Balls is the collective name informally used to describe the long-running series of benefit shows staged in England to raise funds for the human rights organisation Amnesty International...

.

The show took place at the Drury Lane theatre in London on Wednesday 9 September 1981. It was a successor to the 1979 show The Secret Policeman's Ball

The Secret Policeman's Ball (1979)

The Secret Policeman's Ball took place over four consecutive nights in London in June 1979. It was a successor to the 1976 show A Poke In The Eye and the 1977 show The Mermaid Frolics.The show was directed by Monty Python alumnus John Cleese and producers Martin Lewis and Peter Walker...

.

The show was directed by Monty Python

Monty Python

Monty Python was a British surreal comedy group who created their influential Monty Python's Flying Circus, a British television comedy sketch show that first aired on the BBC on 5 October 1969. Forty-five episodes were made over four series...

 alumnus John Cleese

John Cleese

John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...

 and produced by Martin Lewis & Peter Walker http://www.variety.com/review/VE1117794729.html?categoryid=31&cs=1&p=0 (Amnesty's fundraising officer). It subsequently yielded two separate movies (one version for the UK, directed by Julien Temple

Julien Temple

Julien Temple is an English film, documentary and music video director. He began his career with short films featuring the Sex Pistols, and has continued with various off-beat projects, including The Great Rock And Roll Swindle, Absolute Beginners and a documentary film about Glastonbury.-Temple...

, and a quite different version for the US) and two record albums (one each of comedy and music performances).

The show was very influential in galvanizing rock musicians to become involved in the human rights issue and in other political and social causes in subsequent decades. Musicians who performed at the show who subsequently became activists in various fields include Sting, Bob Geldof

Bob Geldof

Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...

, Eric Clapton

Eric Clapton

Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...

, Phil Collins

Phil Collins

Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....

 and Midge Ure

Midge Ure

James "Midge" Ure, OBE is a Scottish guitarist, singer, keyboard player, and songwriter...

.

Track listing of the Music Album

Side 1

1. "Roxanne
   Roxanne (song)
   "Roxanne" is a hit song by the rock band The Police, first released in 1978 as a single and on their album Outlandos d'Amour. It was written from the point-of-view of a man who falls in love with a prostitute.- History :...
   
   " - Sting (3:06)
2. "Message in a Bottle
   Message in a Bottle (song)
   "Message in a Bottle" is a 1979 song by The Police, from their second album, Reggatta de Blanc.The song is ostensibly about a story of a castaway on an island, who sends out a message in a bottle to seek love. A year later, he has not received any sort of response, and despairs, thinking he is...
   
   " - Sting (3:44)
3. "'Cause We've Ended as Lovers" - Jeff Beck
   Jeff Beck
   Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
   
    and Eric Clapton (3:47)
4. "Farther Up the Road
   Farther Up the Road
   "Farther Up the Road" or "Further on Up the Road" is a blues song first recorded in 1957 by Bobby "Blue" Bland. The song became Bland's first record chart success and one of his best-known songs...
   
   " - Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton (4:46)
5. "Crossroads" - Jeff Beck and Clapton (4:15)
6. "I Don't Like Mondays" - Bob Geldof and Johnny Fingers
   Johnny Fingers
   Johnnie Fingers is a pop pianist, and was a founding member of the new wave band, The Boomtown Rats. He was notable for his stage costume of striped pyjamas as well as his melodic piano style.-Background:...
   
    (4:54)

Side 2

1. "In The Air Tonight
   In the Air Tonight
   "In the Air Tonight" is a song by Phil Collins that first appeared on his 1981 album Face Value. It was recorded in 1979 and was the first single of Collins' solo career, and remains one of his best-known hits. The music video, directed by Stuart Orme, was released in 1981.-The song/recording:The...
   
   " - Phil Collins (5:10)
2. "The Roof Is Leaking" - Phil Collins (3:34)
3. "The Universal Soldier
   Universal Soldier (song)
   "Universal Soldier" is a song written and recorded by Canadian singer-songwriter Buffy Sainte-Marie. The song was originally released on Sainte-Marie's debut album It's My Way! in 1964. "Universal Soldier" was not a popular hit at the time of its release, but it did garner attention within the...
   
   " - Donovan
   Donovan
   Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
   
    (3:00)
4. "Catch The Wind
   Catch the Wind (song)
   "Catch the Wind" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. It was released as a single in the United Kingdom on March 12, 1965 through Pye Records and a few months later in the United States through Hickory Records...
   
   " (2:32) - Donovan
5. "I Shall Be Released
   I Shall Be Released
   "I Shall Be Released" is a 1967 song written by Bob Dylan.The Band played it on their debut album, Music from Big Pink , with Richard Manuel singing lead vocals, and Rick Danko and Levon Helm harmonizing in the chorus...
   
   " - The Secret Police (9:20)

Track listing of the VHS

1. "Roxanne" - Sting
2. "Message in a Bottle" - Sting
3. "Farther Up The Road" - Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton
4. "'Cause We've Ended as Lovers" - Jeff Beck and Eric Clapton
5. "The Roof Is Leaking" - Phil Collins
6. "In The Air Tonight" - Phil Collins
7. "Sunshine Superman
   Sunshine Superman
   "Sunshine Superman" is a song written and recorded by Scottish singer-songwriter Donovan. The "Sunshine Superman" single was released in the United States through Epic Records in July 1966, but due to a contractual dispute the United Kingdom release was delayed until December 1966, where it...
   
   " - Donovan
8. "Catch The Wind" - Donovan
9. "Colours" - Donovan
10. "I Don't Like Mondays" - Bob Geldof and Johnny Fingers
11. "Glad to Be Gay
    Glad to Be Gay
    "Glad to Be Gay" is a song by British punk rock/New Wave group Tom Robinson Band. It is one of their defining songs, in addition to being considered Britain's national gay anthem since its release.-Song information:...
    
    " - Tom Robinson
    Tom Robinson
    Tom Robinson is an English singer-songwriter, bassist and radio presenter, better known for the hits "Glad to Be Gay", "2-4-6-8 Motorway", and "Don't Take No for an Answer", with his Tom Robinson Band...
    
    
12. "Won't Get Fooled Again
    Won't Get Fooled Again
    "Won't Get Fooled Again" is a song by the rock band The Who which was written by Pete Townshend The original version of the song appears as the final track on the album Who's Next...
    
    " - Pete Townshend
    Pete Townshend
    Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
    
    
13. "Drowned" - Pete Townshend
14. "I Shall Be Released" - The Secret Police

Track listing of the Comedy Album

Side 1

1 A Word of Thanks (w:Rowan Atkinson/John Cleese/Ronald Eyre) performed by Rowan Atkinson, John Cleese and John Bird.

2 Road Safety - Rowan Atkinson.

3 Australian Motor Insurance Claims - Jasper Carrott.

4 Clothes Off (w:Graham Chapman/John Cleese/Marty Feldman/Tim Brooke-Taylor for 'At Last the 1948 Show') performed by John Cleese, Pamela Stephenson and Graham Chapman.

5 Had It Up To Here - Victoria Wood.

6 Men's Talk (w:Alan Bennett) performed by Alan Bennett and John Fortune.

7 What's on in Stoke Newington - Alexie Sayle.

Side 2

1 The Royal Australian Prostate Foundation (w:Chris Langham) performed by Dame Edna Everage.

2 Denis on the Menace - John Wells.

3 Beekeeping (w:Chapman/Cleese/Feldman/Brooke Taylor for 'At Last the 1948 Show') performed by Rowan Atkinson and John Cleese.

4 Song in a French Accent - Neil Innes.

5 Divorce Service (w:John Cormack) performed by Rowan Atkinson, Griff Rhys-Jones, Pamela Stephenson and John Fortune.

6 Reading the Riot Act - Chris Langham.

7 Top of the Form (w:John Cleese) performed by John Cleese, Griff Rhys-Jones, John Fortune, Rowan Atkinson, Tim Brooke-Taylor, John Bird and Graham Chapman.

8 Drinking - Billy Connolly.

Cast

The cast of performers in the stage production was:

• Rowan Atkinson
  Rowan Atkinson
  Rowan Sebastian Atkinson is a British actor, comedian, and screenwriter. He is most famous for his work on the satirical sketch comedy show Not The Nine O'Clock News, and the sitcoms Blackadder, Mr. Bean and The Thin Blue Line...
  
  , Jeff Beck
  Jeff Beck
  Geoffrey Arnold "Jeff" Beck is an English rock guitarist. He is one of three noted guitarists to have played with The Yardbirds...
  
  , Alan Bennett
  Alan Bennett
  Alan Bennett is a British playwright, screenwriter, actor and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford University where he studied history and performed with The Oxford Revue. He stayed to teach and research mediaeval history at the university for several years...
  
  , John Bird
  John Bird (actor)
  John Bird is an English satirist, actor and comedian.-Early life:Born in Bulwell, Nottingham, England, and educated at High Pavement Grammar School, Nottingham, Bird briefly joined the Socialist Party of Great Britain, while still at school...
  
  , Tim Brooke-Taylor
  Tim Brooke-Taylor
  Timothy Julian Brooke-Taylor OBE is an English comic actor. He became active in performing in comedy sketches while at Cambridge University, and became President of the Footlights club, touring internationally with the Footlights revue in 1964...
  
  , Jasper Carrott
  Jasper Carrott
  Jasper Carrott OBE is a British comedian, actor, television presenter and personality.-Early life:...
  
  , Graham Chapman
  Graham Chapman
  Graham Arthur Chapman was a British comedian, physician, writer, actor, and one of the six members of the Monty Python comedy troupe.-Early life and education:...
  
  , Eric Clapton
  Eric Clapton
  Eric Patrick Clapton, CBE, is an English guitarist and singer-songwriter. Clapton is the only three-time inductee to the Rock and Roll Hall of Fame: once as a solo artist, and separately as a member of The Yardbirds and Cream. Clapton has been referred to as one of the most important and...
  
  , John Cleese
  John Cleese
  John Marwood Cleese is an English actor, comedian, writer, and film producer. He achieved success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and as a scriptwriter and performer on The Frost Report...
  
  , Phil Collins
  Phil Collins
  Philip David Charles "Phil" Collins, LVO is an English singer-songwriter, drummer, pianist and actor best known as a drummer and vocalist for British progressive rock group Genesis and as a solo artist....
  
  , Billy Connolly
  Billy Connolly
  William "Billy" Connolly, Jr., CBE is a Scottish comedian, musician, presenter and actor. He is sometimes known, especially in his native Scotland, by the nickname The Big Yin...
  
  , Donovan
  Donovan
  Donovan Donovan Donovan (born Donovan Philips Leitch (born 10 May 1946) is a Scottish singer-songwriter and guitarist. Emerging from the British folk scene, he developed an eclectic and distinctive style that blended folk, jazz, pop, psychedelia, and world music...
  
  , John Fortune
  John Fortune
  John Fortune is a British satirist, comedian writer and actor, best known for his work with John Bird and Rory Bremner on the TV series Bremner, Bird and Fortune. He was educated at Bristol Cathedral School and King's College, Cambridge, where he was to meet and form a lasting friendship with John...
  
  , Bob Geldof
  Bob Geldof
  Robert Frederick Zenon "Bob" Geldof, KBE is an Irish singer, songwriter, author, occasional actor and political activist. He rose to prominence as the lead singer of the Irish rock band The Boomtown Rats in the late 1970s and early 1980s alongside the punk rock movement. The band had hits with his...
  
  , Barry Humphries
  Barry Humphries
  John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE is an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artist, author and character actor, best known for his on-stage and television alter egos Dame Edna Everage, a Melbourne housewife and "gigastar", and Sir Les Patterson, Australia's foul-mouthed cultural attaché to the...
  
  , Neil Innes
  Neil Innes
  Neil James Innes is an English writer and performer of comic songs, best known for his collaborative work with Monty Python, and for playing in the Bonzo Dog Doo-Dah Band and later The Rutles.-Personal life:...
  
  , Chris Langham
  Chris Langham
  Christopher "Chris" Langham is an English writer, actor and comedian. He is most famous for playing MP Hugh Abbot in BBC Four sitcom The Thick of It and as presenter Roy Mallard in People Like Us, first on BBC Radio 4 and later on its transfer to television on BBC Two, where Mallard is almost...
  
  , Griff Rhys Jones
  Griff Rhys Jones
  Griffith "Griff" Rhys Jones is a Welsh comedian, writer, actor, television presenter and personality. Jones came to national attention in the early 1980s for his work in the BBC television comedy sketch shows Not the Nine O'Clock News and Alas Smith and Jones along with his comedy partner Mel Smith...
  
  , Alexei Sayle
  Alexei Sayle
  Alexei David Sayle is a British stand-up comedian, actor and author. He was a central part of the alternative comedy circuit in the early 1980s. He was voted the 18th greatest stand-up comic on Channel 4's 100 Greatest Stand-ups in 2007...
  
  , Pamela Stephenson
  Pamela Stephenson
  Pamela Helen Stephenson Connolly is a New Zealand-born Australian clinical psychologist and writer now resident in the United Kingdom. She is best known for her work as an actress and comedian during the 1980s...
  
  , Sting, Pete Townshend
  Pete Townshend
  Peter Dennis Blandford "Pete" Townshend is an English rock guitarist, vocalist, songwriter and author, known principally as the guitarist and songwriter for the rock group The Who, as well as for his own solo career...
  
  , John Wells
  John Wells (satirist)
  John Wells was an English actor, writer and satirist, educated at Eastbourne College and St Edmund Hall, Oxford...
  
   and Victoria Wood
  Victoria Wood
  Victoria Wood CBE is a British comedienne, actress, singer-songwriter, screenwriter and director. Wood has written and starred in sketches, plays, films and sitcoms, and her live stand-up comedy act is interspersed with her own compositions, which she accompanies on piano...
  
  .

External links

• The Secret Policeman's Other Ball at the Internet Movie Database
  Internet Movie Database
  Internet Movie Database is an online database of information related to movies, television shows, actors, production crew personnel, video games and fictional characters featured in visual entertainment media. It is one of the most popular online entertainment destinations, with over 100 million...
  
  
• The Secret Policeman's Other Ball album at Amazon.com
  Amazon.com
  Amazon.com, Inc. is a multinational electronic commerce company headquartered in Seattle, Washington, United States. It is the world's largest online retailer. Amazon has separate websites for the following countries: United States, Canada, United Kingdom, Germany, France, Italy, Spain, Japan, and...
  
  
• [ The Secret Policeman's Other Ball VHS] at Allmusic