Alternate versions

In most versions the voices of Johnny Shannon, John Bindon and Laraine Wickens have been overdubbed. This was because the actors' own voices were thought to be "too cockney" for non-UK audiences to understand. The 2007 Region 2 DVD (DY11687) features the voices of all three actors throughout the feature, none of the previous overdubs are present in this version.

The 1997 Warner Home Video 'Maverick Directors' Widescreen PAL-VHS edition of 'Performance' (Cat. No: S015399) and the 2007 Region 2 DVD (DY11687) feature shots not featured in previous "X" cuts (such as 1981 Warner Home Video PAL-VHS WEV 61131). These appear while Chas (Fox) is being whipped by Joey Maddocks (Valentine), S015399 and DY11687 feature a reverie while Chas loses consciousness. This is a montage of shots of boxers. Chas (Fox) shoots Joey (Valentine), who is now seen, unlike in previous versions, to rise from the bed and mutter something at Chas's feet to which he replies 'You're dead Joey'. Directly after, Fox has another newly featured line in which he tells the remaining hood (Murray) to 'Get out of my flat'.

Warner Bros removed around 20 minutes from the beginning of the film before the movie was submitted and the BBFC (under UK censor John Trevelyan) then made a further 16 cuts, most notably to the sexual clawing during the infamous flogging scene. The 1997 Maverick Directors video release featured the longer U.S print and restored all the BBFC cut footage.

The Warner DVD is missing the line "Here's to Old England." in the 'Memo From Turner' scene. The Warner Archive Blu-ray features the missing line, but as a newly mixed correction to the mix, rather than as a fluid part of the sound mix as it was originally. The Blu-ray also reinstates the dubbing of London accents that previous releases rectified. Characters are dubbed in all their scenes prior to the phone call from Chas (Fox) to Harry (Shannon) in the bedroom. The bedroom scene and the remainder of the film features the original audio performances. Laraine Wickens thus escapes dubbing altogether as her scenes are all after the bedroom scene.

According to co-director Cammell in a 90's documentary 'The Real Donald Cammell' the film originally featured roughly half an hour more of the otherwise short opening (london gangster) section of the film. The idea being that the film would show how the worlds of Chas,(Fox) and Turner,(Jagger) were linked by the idea of performance. It is alleged by Cammell that these scenes were cut at the 'suggestion' of infamous London Gangsters the Kray brothers, Ronnie and Reggie, for whom the scenes were too true to their London underworld 'Firm' to be shown. This footage is also referred to, as are many other lost, cut or 'alternative' scenes, in the numerous books either on or concerning the film.

The Maverick Directors VHS release is the same version shown previously in the UK on BBC 2, which was introduced by Alex Cox as being the most complete version available.