Following the success of the 1979 show and the financial benefits accruing to Amnesty from the spin-off movie, TV special and record albums – Cleese, Lewis and Walker planned the next show to be a more spectacular event. Cleese focused on broadening the comedic talent to be presented at the show. In addition to the Amnesty show stalwarts drawn from the Oxbridge/Monty Python/Beyond The Fringe orbit, he invited newcomers such as Rowan Atkinson’s colleagues from the BBC TV show Not the Nine O'Clock News including Pamela Stephenson and Griff Rhys Jones; comedian Victoria Wood and regional comic Jasper Carrott. Lewis secured a return appearance by Billy Connolly and a debut appearance by "alternative" comedian Alexei Sayle who Lewis had recently discovered and was managing. Building on the success of Pete Townshend's 1979 appearance Lewis recruited other rock musicians to perform at the 1981 show including Sting, Phil Collins, Eric Clapton, Jeff Beck, Donovan and Bob Geldof.
Rowan Atkinson
Jeff Beck
Alan Bennett
Graham Chapman
Eric Clapton
John Cleese
Phil Collins
Billy Connolly
Peter Cook
Sheena Easton
Bob Geldof
Barry Humphries
Michael Palin
David Rappaport
Sting
John Bird
Tim Brooke-Taylor
Donovan
Johnnie Fingers
John Fortune
Chris Langham
Griff Rhys Jones
Alexei Sayle
Pamela Stephenson
John Wells
Victoria Wood
Daryl Stuermer
Maynard Williams
Pete Townshend
Jasper Carrott
Doreen Chanter
Chris Cross
Neil Innes
Micky Moody
Midge Ure