october 14th, Royal albert hall

LATEST BALLS

Email alerts: Stay in touch with all the goings ons at Secret Policeman HQ as there's lots more to come. We will also draw a lucky person from the list for a bumper SPB limited edition pack (including show programme, DVD, posters and tee shirt).

More about the 2006 show

Monday 4 December

The Secret Policeman's Ball DVD is in the shops now - with over 50 mins bonus footage not seen on TV, exclusive animations, and classic sketches aplenty - it's the daddy of all DVDs. We hope you like it.  

Thursday 16 November

The Secret Policeman's Ball comedy juggernaut hurtles on. We've added new backstage video podcasts with exclusive animations coming soon. Channel 4 is going to repeat the show at Christmas because they liked it so much. And we can confirm that the DVD out on December 4th will have over 50 minutes of unseen footage from the live show.

And now we'd like you to do your bit.

By now you know that Amnesty puts on a good show and is supported by an amazing array of artists. What you may not know is that we're a worldwide movement of 2.3 million ordinary people standing up for humanity and human rights. It is thanks to our supporters that prisoners of conscience are released, death sentences are commuted and governments change their laws and practices.

Membership funds over 90% of our work. If you've been moved, entertained or inspired by the Ball, then all we ask is please join Amnesty International today.   

Friday 3 November

Our new best friends, The Magic Numbers, fresh from storming the stage at The Secret Policeman's Ball with their amazing rendition of 'I shall be released', could now help Amnesty raise £10,000.

But we need you.

All you have to do is vote for 'Romeo from The Magic Number' in the Christian O'Connell competition, and if he gets the most votes, we get the £10,000. Vote now because voting closes after the weekend.

Monday 30 October pm

Now we're now not ones to blow our own trumpet, but we are just a little bit pleased that the Secret Policeman Ball podcasts are now officially NUMBER ONE in the iTunes UK podcast chart. Woo Hoo.

Since peeling ourselves off the ceiling, we've only just gone and added brand new episodes, featuring exclusive stand up material from the show, plus the inimitable Stephen Merchant interviewing Jimmy 'Saturday Night Live' Fallon and Chevy 'The Chase-master' Chase. Not bad hey? It's our treat for making us number one.

Monday 30 October

Only a day to go to the TV spectacular, but if you can't wait until then to see your favourite stars in action, why not take a peek at more backstage shenanigans, including a very special encounter between the follicaly-rich Russell Brand and Noel Fielding. It's not for the faint hearted.

Friday 27 October

And now for that announcement you've all been waiting for - the time and date of the Channel Four transmission:

10pm on 31 October

So put that reminder on your mobile and lock yourself away from the trick or treaters and brace your sides for a whole load of chuckle.

And to keep the comedy flowing, we've got some Backstage at the Hall vids on our MySpace - if you're a fan of Russell Brand, Stephen Merchant or Jimmy Fallon you don't want to miss these.

Monday 23 October

Get the full picture... photos of the show both onstage and behind the scenes at the Royal Albert Hall.

Monday 16 October

Phew-eee! What a night... 

So who stole the show? Was it comedy genius Izzard's insect impressions? Was it Ancona's double-double take off of Ruby Wax and Jennifer Saunders?  Was it Russell Brand pitching for the letter editor's desk at The Sun, or was it Natalie Imbruglia, mime artist extraordinaire? 

Or maybe it was Chevy Chase's military general, or Omid Djalili's dictator, or Jimmy Fallon as the back end of a horse.  

Then again, how can we ignore The Boosh, Green Wing, Julia Davis, Jessica Stephenson, Graham Norton, Sarah Silverman, Dylan Moran and the cherub-like Andrew Maxwell? 

And not to be undone by the comedians, The Zutons rocked and The Magic Numbers were joined on stage by Martha Wainwright for a soul-shaking rendition of Bob Dylan's I shall be released. [Little-known fact - Martha's daddy Loudon Wainwright III performed at the third Ball in 1987.] 

Oh, heck they were all great.

Read the full line up (including Snow White, seven dwarves, a pantomine horse and four giant rabbits)

Now what do you do until the Channel 4 transmission on 31st October?  Well, listen to these backstage podcasts, hosted by Jason Byrne, for starters.

Friday 13 October

It's the day before the show. All is calm at Secret Policeman HQ. The Bill is packed to the rafters. The rehearsals are going swimmingly. And a spectacular set is being lugged into the Royal Albert Hall by men with equally spectacular behinds.

If you've got a ticket, we'll see you there, you lucky lucky people.

If you've haven't, then there's the Channel 4 transmission, the DVD and because we don't like to disappoint, we've produced some podcasts full of top drawer archive clips, exclusive interviews with this year's stars, and a brand new sketch. All presented by Eddie Award winner, Phil Nichol.

Episode One is out now, so what are you waiting for? 

Friday 6 October

With only a week to go the comedy extravaganza of the millennium, we've been keeping ourselves ever so slightly busy this week.

We've finalised the transmission date with Channel 4 (all to be revealed).

We've put together some lovely extras for our special DVD, which'll be in the shops just in time to fill christmas stockings.

We've tested our 'equipment' to make sure the live nationwide cinecasts actually works. This is important.

We've put on the finishing touches to the lovely animated films you'll see if you're lucky enough to get to the show.

We've announced the winner of the 4laughs script sketch.

We've got hold of some bonus footage of our lovable troupe of comedy losers who'll never make it to the Ball.

And we've got a running order for the show. And it's pretty bloody amazing, if we do say so ourselves.

Hold on to your hats, the Ball is Back (almost).

Friday 28 September Pt II

As it looks like some of you out there are pretty excited about our little comedy event, we've got two bits of good news for you today.

The thousands of tickets for the event have all but been snapped up. But for those of you who like to travel first class (not us), we've just released some extra seats - they're the best seats in the house so you'll get a darn fine view for your money.

Tickets are available via Royal Albert Hall box office 0207 589 8212 or ticketzone 08705 321 321

But, since we are truly a movement of ordinary people (i.e. we don't travel first class), we have teamed up with the lovely people at Picturehouse cinemas (your nice arthouse cinemas, where people can read subtitles), to beam the show live, direct, unedited and uncensored to 17 different cinemas around the country. All for the bargain price of £12. And days before the TV transmission.

So all you cost-conscious people (most of us), book yourself a ticket at your nearest Cinecast show, now with added popcorn.

And not to miss out, there are screenings in Cardiff and Belfast

Friday 28 September Pt I

For that extra special show experience, we've teamed up with Viagogo auction site, to offer exclusive packages to the event, including signed programmes.

Thursday 27 September

Take one struggling troupe of comedians. Let them find out the biggest comedy show in years is coming to town. Raise an eyebrow as you learn their plan to get on the Ball is to impress Amnesty by doing jokes on torture and the death penalty. Laugh at their miserable attempts to do sketches on extraordinary rendition. And be amazed at the lengths they will go to, for Amnesty to answer their calls. Not bloody likely.

We'd like to introduce to you The Protect the Human Players.

Tuesday 25 September

Question: What do you do when you have already have a Bill packed with incredible performers and talent?

Answer: Put some more people in the show.

The latest lovely and incredibly exciting names to be added to the show are Dylan Moran, The Zutons, Sarah Silverman, and Green Wing.

Oh, and Sir Ian McKellen.

Roll on the 14th.

Tuesday 19 September

Amnesty International and 4laughs are pleased, nay, ecstatic to announce the winner of the send-a-sketch idea.

With over 700 ideas pouring in (clearly, there are many budding writers amongst you), days of thrashing it out and deliberating led to the winning sketch idea:

"A family on holiday confuse Morecambe Bay with Guantanamo Bay. They are less than impressed by the amenities and resort staff."

Next step, you can join the 4Laughs community to write up the idea into a winning script to be performed on the night.

Friday 15 September

So, just another ordinary Friday morning here at Secret Policeman HQ:

Catching up on our paperwork, doing a bit of filing, replying to the odd email, oh, and announcing a stupendous line up of comedy gurus, entertainment icons and laughter merchants for what the critics are calling “this year’s must-see show” (ahem).

We got Eddie Izzard, Russell Brand, Jennifer Saunders, Jimmy Fallon, The Mighty Boosh, Jon Culshaw, Omid Djalili, Jessica Stevenson, Ronni Ancona, Seth Green, Richard E Grant, Andrew Maxwell, and The Magic Numbers, all gathered together for a night of never-before-seen collaborations.

And did we mention the legendary Chevy Chase?

And did we say that there are even more names to come?

You’re excited. We can tell. For us, it’s just another day.

So get yourself ready to buy your tickets. They go on sale on Saturday at 9am. Tickets are available via Royal Albert Hall box office (0207 589 8212 and www.royalalberthall.com) and www.ticketzone.co.uk (or call 08705 321 321)

Don’t tell your friends because they’ll get the best seats.

Wednesday 13 September

Want to promote the Ball? You can download our Mr Beaky animations and put them on your site, blog or MySpace. To view them click the links below. To download them right-click the image (PC) and save it to your computer, or drag and drop the file if using an Apple Mac.

Don't forget to link them to secretpoliceman.com

Tall banner (120 x 480)
Small banner (240 x 120)

Tuesday 5 September

We're getting closer and closer to the big show - the lights, the stage, the audience, the laughter, the applause. And who will be the lucky person receiving all this acclaim?

It could be you. Yes, you heard us.

The Ball has teamed with 4Laughs, Channel 4's new user generated site, to offer the great British public the chance to pitch a sketch idea, that could end up being performed on the night of the show. Exciting, no?

Using human rights as inspiration, we want you to pitch us a funny idea. It might be an animation, sketch, stand up, sitcom or a slapstick routine.

The catch - you have 160 characters to pitch your idea to us.

To sign up visit Channel 4 - 4Laughs

Wednesday 30 August

What do you think of event souvenir programmes? The flimsy, over priced book you buy at a show and ends up in the boot of your car. Predictable? Boring? A waste of money? All of the above?

We'd agree. Which is why we're going out of our way to do something a little bit special. Yeah, we'll have talent biographies, cast list, a running order and all that un-exciting stuff, but we'll also have some of the most famous illustrators in the world, doing drawings inspired by the work that we do.

And here's a drawing by David Shrigley just to prove the point:

If you want to get your hands on one of these limited edition programmes, you'll just have to come down to the Royal Albert Hall on October 14th.

Tuesday 22 August

Two little quotes that we like:

A message of support from the legend that is Michael Palin, “As a veteran of the first Amnesty shows I wish great success to the Secret Policeman’s Ball. By mixing a good cause and a line-up of performers you’d never see together anywhere else, the shows had a mad exuberance. Anything could happen and usually did. There simply is nothing like an Amnesty comedy show.”

Meanwhile, our show producer, Lisle Turner, had this to say, “People have been pushing us to do another Ball for many years and we always held back. We’re doing it now because the world needs a poke in the eye, it needs laughter and frankly, it needs more Balls"

You said it.

Friday 18 August

The rumours and whisperings are over. The secret is out. The Ball is back.

Today we have announced the return of the best loved name in comedy, The Secret Policeman's Ball.

The series, which stretched over 15 years, massively increased our profile. It raised lots of money. It helped make human rights issues famous. And our membership increased by 700% between the first and third event.

Persuading us to bring it back was pretty tough.

More about this year's show

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