London 2012 Olympics: six months to go

A highlight of the Games is bound to be the opening ceremony on 27 July – which is all being masterminded by the Slumdog Millionaire director Danny Boyle.

He’s hiring some 10,000 people to act as performers and musicians, with regular rehearsals slated to begin in March. It is expected to be watched by one billion TV viewers around the world.

Shakespeare and bells

Despite a multi-million pound budget, the ceremony might not be on the scale of Beijing’s extravaganza four years ago – but it is being eagerly awaited as the cinematic event of the year.

Our culture editor Matthew Cain was at the Olympic briefing, where Danny Boyle revealed the biggest bell in Europe was to hang in the stadium and ring in the start of the Olympic Games.

When you start this process, you sit there and think ‘What is unique about us?’ You try to capture that. Danny Boyle, artistic director for the London 2012 opening ceremony

The bell will feature a quote from Shakespeare’s The Tempest: ‘Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises’.

Boyle will collaborate with electronic musical duo Underworld as musical directors of the performance. It’s not the first time Boyle has worked with the pair – their instrumental ‘Born Slippy’ featured in Trainspotting and more recently, the trio worked together on the National Theatre’s production of Frankenstein.

The NHS will also feature in the opening ceremony because it is “somthing unique”.

“When you start this process, you sit there and think ‘What is unique about us?’ You try to capture that but some of it will be very difficult because it is a stadium show.

“There is our sense of humour, which is difficult to get in a stadium show where language will not be the way to do it – but we are working on that,” Boyle said.

Going for gold

Olympic rower and double world champion, Mark Hunter, told Channel 4 News that excitement is growing as the Games draw closer.

“The excitement and anticipation is building. We’re doing all we can in training so that in the big events we can really deliver the performances.

“The whole nation is getting behind us and it’s going to be spectacular,” Hunter said.

Triple Olympic silver medallist Katherine Grainger told Channel 4 News that she’s training hard in the hope of clinching gold this year.

“Like all athletes leading up to 2012 I think it’s going to be an incredible opportunity for all of us.

“I’ve been really lucky to take part in three Olympic Games so far – the people involved in it and the athletes with stories which you can learn from and be inspired by, and I still get inspired – it’s incredible. I just want everyone to enjoy what’s coming,” she said.

‘Inspiring children’

More than 900 students from the six east London host boroughs will get their moment in the Olympic limelight with a chance to perform at the opening and closing ceremonie in large-scale choreography and dance routines.

London 2012 chairman Lord Coe said: “Being part of the ceremonies is a great way of inspiring young people. I’m delighted schoolchildren from the host boroughs will be part of the show and help tell our story to the world.

We’re doing all we can in training so that in the big events we can really deliver the performances. The whole nation is getting behind us and it’s going to be spectacular. Mark Hunter, Olympic rower and double world champion

London mayor Boris Johnson said making children “the heart of the celebrations” would ensure the legacy from the Games would continue to inspire.

Organisers are searching for 5,000 volunteer performers to fill roles as dancers, actors, percussionists and general all-round performers.Some 20,000 performers are being sought for the performances.

Applications are open until February 22 for adult volunteer performers to audition to participate in the opening and closing ceremonies of the London 2012 Paralympic Games.

5,000 toilet brushes and 21,000 pillows

The Olympic village is also ready to be fitted out to house thousands of athletes, officials and referees.

Four-times Olympic rowing champion Sir Matthew Pinsent helped move the first of 16,000 beds to the village’s 2,818 new apartments.

Sixteen thousand athletes and team officials from around the world will be housed there – and work has now started on bringing in the neccessary 170,000 coat hangers, 5,000 toilet brushes and 21,000 pillows.

The Olympic village comes complete with a 24-hour cafe to cater to the athletes’ culinary whims – and they probably won’t need to queue for a table. This eatery will literally feed the five thousand.

There’ll also be a beauty salon and a souvenir shop, should anyone get the urge for some Olympics memorabilia to take home.

‘Highly anticipated’

Officials have been upbeat about progress so far. London 2012 chief executive Paul Deighton said the costs of the project were in “very good shape” despite reports that the budget could spiral to £24bn.

“They have added up the peripheral bits around the country and government to help the Games succeed,” Mr Deighton said:

“Other budgets are applied to the Games because they think it is a great way of spending money.

“I regard that as people exploiting the greatest opportunity to celebrate and invest in our future that this city is going to have in most of our lifetime. I regard that as a good thing.”

Sandie Dawe, the head of VisitBritain, described the Games as a gigantic PR and marketing opportunity, not just for London, but the whole of the UK.

“While the lighting of the cauldron to mark the beginning of the Olympic Games is a highly anticipated moment, we recognise it is also a time when four billion viewers around the globe will turn their attention to London – and Britain.”