The Secret Policeman benefit shows for Amnesty International brought together comedy grand masters - from Python and Beyond the Fringe - and performers then relatively unknown, like Rowan Atkinson. Narrated by Dawn French, the programme includes interviews with many of the comedians and musicians who took part: John Cleese, Stephen Fry, Michael Palin, Sting, Lenny Henry and many more. The shows and their stars had a huge effect on modern British comedy. There are few comics today whose careers have not been heavily influenced by the anarchic and surreal humour of these events.
Michael Edward Palin, CBE FRGS (born 5 May 1943) is an English comedian, actor, writer and television presenter best ...
Jennifer Jane Saunders is an English comedienne, screenwriter, singer and actress. She has won two BAFTAs, an Interna...
Stephen John Fry is an English actor, screenwriter, author, playwright, journalist, poet, comedian, television presen...
John Marwood Cleese (born 27 October 1939) is an English actor, comedian, writer and film producer. He achieved succe...
Sting (aka Gordon Matthew Thomas Sumner) is an English musician, singer-songwriter, activist, actor and philanthropis...
James Hugh Calum Laurie CBE is an English actor, director, singer, musician, comedian, and author. He is known for po...
Alan Bennett (born 9 May 1934) is an English playwright, screenwriter and author. Born in Leeds, he attended Oxford U...
John Barry Humphries, AO, CBE (17 February 1934 - 22 April 2023) was an Australian comedian, satirist, dadaist, artis...
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John Towner Williams (born February 8, 1932) is an American composer, conductor, and pianist. Widely regarded as one ...
Sir Lenworth George Henry CBE, known as Lenny Henry, is an English stand-up comedian, actor, singer, writer and telev...