The BBC's Mark Grammaticus reports

On Monday evening ministers, MPs and peers put on their glad rags and took to the stage for the Parliamentary Palace of Varieties.

With the aim of raising funds for Macmillan Cancer Relief, 22 "gifted" - according to the charity - performers stepped into the limelight to show off their party pieces to an audience of several hundred, all of whom had paid £25 for tickets.

The host for the evening, Tony Banks

The compere for the evening was the wise-cracking minister for sport, Tony Banks, who being a Chelsea fan lost no time making risky remarks about Fulham supporters.

But if the clapometer was any judge, the award for best performer of the evening, in what seemed to be a parliamentary version of Opportunity Knocks was a draw, between Cabinet minister Margaret Beckett and Tory party chairman Michael Ancram.

Mrs Beckett, who apologised to the audience in advance, sang two folk songs and was accompanied by minister, John Battle on the long necked mandolin.

In what is thought to be the first ever live gig by a serving cabinet minister to a paying audience, Mrs Beckett offered valuable advice to any young women contemplating marriage - basically Mrs Beckett said 'don't do it'.

Michael Ancram, blowing in the wind

Meanwhile Mr Ancram had the gathered lords ladies and gentleman clapping along to the old Bob Dylan number Blowing in the Wind, possibly the first time the favourite of sixties counter culture had been played on stage by a man wearing a suit and tie.

Other highlights included Tory MPs Bernard Jenkin and Michael Trend who drew on recent real life experiences at the hands of the ballot box to inject passion into their contribution of Songs from Les Miserables - they were also be joined by Labour MP Barry Gardiner.

Feats of magic were performed by Labour Lord Janner of Braunstone - a member of the Magic Circle - and one-time Tory cabinet member John Macgregor pulled off unbelievable feats of mindreading, a talent not displayed while in office.

Baroness Trumpington rounded off the evening with a stirring rendition of the Chattanooga Choo-Choo.

A spokeswoman for the charity told BBC News Online the idea for the concert had originally come from Eira Jessel, wife of the Tory former MP Toby Jessel.

"She first had the idea that there was a wealth of hidden talent in the House," she said.