"The Secret Policeman's Ball"

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The Secret Policeman's Ball

“The Secret Policeman’s Ball - The Ball In The Hall” was the first revival of the famous Amnesty International concerts to use the “Secret Policeman” name since 1991.

David & Geoff came on board as “Creative Directors” for the show, which was staged at The Albert Hall on October 14th 2006; it was transmitted a couple of weeks later on October the 31st, although we weren’t involved in the television production....

Rehearsals were a blast - working with the delightful Natalie Imbruglia spoofing her own version of “Torn” to David Armand’s brilliant mime, getting together with Jimmy Fallon to create a bespoke sketch (eventually written by Jon Holmes & Matt Kirshen) and watching the Green Wing team work up their own brand of magic as we sat and watched...

The day itself was the usual glorious blur of confusion that these gigs usually are. Highlights of the day were trying to track down Richard E Grant so that he could rehearse a ten part spoof Cluedo sketch in which he was the lead, trying to find somebody to play Reverend Green in said sketch at the last minute after Chevy Chase had to drop out (Stephen Merchant looked like a startled faun when we asked him, so Julian Rhind-Tutt nobly stood in at the last minute) and bringing the whole cast back on stage to sing the final song, a spoof on Land Of Hope & Glory, with luminaries like The Boosh and The Magic Numbers clutching their songsheets faithfully.

The other thing we learnt is that it doesn’t matter if you get lost backstage at The Albert Hall; just keep going round and you’ll eventually get back to where you started...

Trivia - at one point, Ralph Fiennes was going to join the cast of the Cluedo sketch, playing Colonel Mustard. In the Extras section you can see the extract from his script that was never performed...

The Secret Policeman's Ball

"The Ball In The Hall"

First Tx: 31/10/06 22.00-24.00 Channel 4

Part 1
Starring: (roughly in order on the night)
The Zutons
Dylan Moran
 
Channel 4 4Laughs Competition Winner - at Guantanamo Bay:
General Nui-SanceChevy Chase
Private PartsSeth Green
Mrs. ChaudryShadia Ibrahim
Mr. ChaudryNitin Ganatra
 
Andrew Maxwell
 
“The History Of The Secret Policeman’s Ball”
Graham Norton
Ronni Ancona
Jon Culshaw
 
The Bouncer Sketch
Jimmy Fallon
Shaun Williamson
 
Russell Brand
 
The Mighty BooshJulian Barratt
Noel Fielding
 
Part 2
"Torn"
Johann LippowitzDavid Armand
as herselfNatalie Imbruglia
 
The Pub LandlordAl Murray
 
Diary Of A DictatorOmid Djalili
 
Sarah Silverman
 
The Magic Numbers
withMartha Wainwright
 
Julia Davis
&Jessica Hynes
 
Green Wing
Stephen Mangan
Julian Rhind-Tutt
Tamsin Greig
Michelle Gomez
 
The Cluedo Sketch - Murder At The Vicarage:
The DetectiveRichard E Grant
Reverend GreenJulian Rhind-Tutt
Constable SidekickStephen Mangan
Mrs. WhiteJo Brand
Professor PlumsGraham Norton
Mr. PinkSeth Green
Miss ScarletJulia Davis
Mrs. PeacockJessica Hynes
Dr. BlackRussell Brand
 
Eddie Izzard
 
Jeremy Irons
 
The Voice-Over ManMichael Fenton Stevens
 
The History Of The Secret Policemans BallSteve Punt
&David Tyler
 
The Bouncer SketchWill Smith
Roger Drew
Jon Holmes
Matt Kirshen
 
Guantanamo Bay - Baby Cow with
 
CluedoJohn Finnemore
Kevin Baker
Steve Punt
David Tyler
 
Land Of Hope & GloryJon Holmes
Steve Punt
David Tyler
 
Diary Of A DictatorJesse Armstrong
 
VoiceoversMichael Fenton Stevens
John Finnemore
David Tyler
 
withJames Cary
Kevin Cecil
 

Executive Producers
Clive Tulloh
Andy Hackman

 
Directed byJulia Knowles
 
Produced byMike Agnew
Lisle Turner
 
Creative ProducerDavid Tyler
Creative ProducerGeoff Posner

The Secret Policeman's Ball

To buy the DVD click here

The show contained a Cleudo sketch (written by John Finnemore and Kevin Baker with Steve Punt & David Tyler). At one point, Ralph Fiennes was due to be in the piece. Click here to see the extract from his script that was never performed...


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