
On Wednesday 25th July, I was fortunate to be invited to the Technical Rehearsal of the Olympics Opening Ceremony for London 2012. This grand spectacle is aimed at presenting Great Britain to the world, masterminded by Danny Boyle. I wasn’t able to share the photos on the evening due to the #savethesurprise theme. But, I can share them now! 🙂
The evening began with an introduction from Curtis Walker, opening the evening as compere to warm up the 50,000 strong crowd. After some general banter and a run through of the things to expect during the evening, it was time to get started with the pre-show. The animals were the first to grace the stadium, sheep, horses and geese as part of the British countryside theme. This theme was then changed to a completely different scenario of the industrial revolution which was just fantastic to watch. Throughout the evening there are many scenes representative of British culture.
Music through the evening was provided by Frank Turner, a performer from Winchester, England. The evening attracted a fun and lively crowd that truly created a great atmosphere all round.
My highlights of the evening included:
- A dance performance by Great Ormond Street and the NHS
- London Symphony Orchestra performed Great Chariots of Fire
- The Kaos Choir for Deaf and Hearing children singing the national anthem
Anticipated appearances by:
- Queen Elizabeth & Prince Philip
- David Beckham
- Muhammad Ali (health permitting)
- Sir Paul McCartney
- Political leaders from around the world
Oh, and of course the athletes 🙂
I’ve listed a few photos below from the evening – enjoy!
Will you be watching the show? Are there any particular events that you’re looking forward to or are you fortunate to be visiting the stadium?
Cool! Of course we’re tape delayed here in the U.S. until tonight, but I’m excited to see the games in one of my favorite cities.
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Danny Boyle absolutely aced it and did Great Britain proud!
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