A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick)

The landmark 1976 show starring the Monty Python, Beyond the Fringe, and The Goodies teams and other top British comedic performers of the 1960s and 1970s, led directly to the 1979 show The Secret Policeman's Ball - which in turn triggered the involvement of major rock stars such as Sting, Bono, Peter Gabriel, Bruce Springsteen, and Bob Geldof in working for the human rights cause.

The event was also the subject of a film shot by documentary-maker Roger Graef that documented the rehearsals, backstage moments and show performances.

The cast included: John Cleese, Graham Chapman, Michael Palin, Terry Jones, and Terry Gilliam of Monty Python (with "Python girl" Carol Cleveland); Jonathan Miller, Peter Cook, and Alan Bennett of Beyond the Fringe; Bill Oddie, Graeme Garden, and Tim Brooke-Taylor of the Goodies.

The Monty Python team performed several of their most famous skits including the Dead Parrot sketch, the Custard Pie (aka The Japes Lecture), and "The Lumberjack Song".

Pleasure at Her Majesty's was the name given to the film release of A Poke in the Eye (With a Sharp Stick), the first of the Amnesty International comedy benefit galas.

( Co-founders of The Secret Policeman's Ball, campaigner [Peter Luff], and executive Martin Lewis, collaborated on producing the successor show — videotaped in 1977 as The Mermaid Frolics.