1982 Various – The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball

The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball was the fourth of the benefit shows staged by the British Section of Amnesty International to raise funds for its research and campaign work in the human rights 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 show took place at the Drury Lane theatre in London over four nights between Wednesday 9 September and Saturday 12 September 1981. It was a successor to the 1979 show The Secret Policeman’s Ball. Not all artists appeared at all performances: Phil Collins, for example, could not commit to all four shows, and was only present at the last two shows.

The show was directed by Monty Python alumnus John Cleese. It subsequently yielded two separate movies (one version for the UK, directed by Julien Temple, and a quite different version for the US) and two record albums (one each of comedy and music performances).

The Secret Policeman’s Other Ball in September 1981 famously served as the first-ever live solo concert performance for both Sting and Phil Collins.