This Danny Boyle 3 hour Opening Olympics England love-fest thing...(warning may contain spoilers)

[Hassled]

I'm agog. I'm so agog I bought the Radio Times to read all about it.
There will be sheep, clouds (yes, clouds), maypoles and all manner of shit. Moshpits, apparently. Glastonbury Tor. Ploughs.

And 3 hours? What happens - we watch the clouds, then we watch the sheep? What are the billions of people involved going to be doing?

I cannot wait. Anyone have any further info?

Maybe that's the surprise ?

I thought there had been talk this week that it didn't necessarily have to be an Olympian ?

Beckham is on record as saying it should be an Olympian who lights the flame, although he has also said he has a 'small part' to play in the Opening Ceremony. I'd be very surprised if it was him.

I think the other line of thinking has been that a child from East London or someone representative (maybe a soldier?) - not long until we find out though!

It's all very exciting, isn't it !

I would be surprised too, if it was him. But thinking about it, isn't he the most easily recognised sports-person, world wide for us ? If you think about it from the 'world is watching' apsect.

I think it will be someone 'known'. It's just who !

ajandjjmum - excellent, Becks is ok as he says sensible things like this

Thank you everyones who's participated so far- you've done a brilliant job of conveying the excitement and not revealing anything- can't wait!

As long as Elton is steered clear tomorrow I think well be alright. Maybe becks will be in the mosh pit
Very much hoping for the Cumberbatch in some form or other.
Do you not think it'll be King Boris of Beckton lighting the flame with a burning wifwaf bat

I don't think it should be Beckham, even if he is the most recognised sportsperson. The Olympics is really just a side show for footballers. It's not their most important tournament by any stretch of the imagination. There are British athletes out there for whom this is the pinnacle of their career. It should be about them- not vastly highly paid footballers, whether or not he did a lot to get the Olympics to London. I think he would agree.

Fanny

Yes, I saw Kenneth Branagh. Super

Cremola

Yes! Cumberbatch in Sherlock mode

Oh fuck, if Elton turns up I won't be held responsible for what I might shout at the screen.

Cumberbatch is in the USA at the mo [saddo for knowing that] so won't be there unless he jets in as a special surprise.

What's Ken doing in it?

That would be ona strictly "need to know" basis.

I could tell you, but I'd have to kill you, etc etc.

Talking in his nice voice, generally

Omg Wallander is in it. Hope he's taken off his moody Swedish visage and does his proper NI accent.

I hate opening ceremonies. They should just do the sports, forget all the pageantry.

Jamie, you're a jobsworth!

I'd LOVE to hear Ken go all Northern Irish.

The LSO are playing - at least they would be if they were allowed to! Instead they all have to sit violins etc. in hands pretending to play along to their own backing track, because of health & safety or some such drivel. Absolutely shocking that they will pay one of the best orchestras in the land to come along and fake it. Shows how much the powers that be value live music then [gets off soapbox]

pugs, you're aving a larf!

How do you know that and what's the health and safety bollocks thing?

I have friends in the orchestra - I would bet money on them faking it!

I am posting "blind" (ie. haven't read the thread) but saw the word spoilers so have amended the thread title to reflect this

Omg echos of Beijing and the fakey pretty child

Outrage. So what IS the health and safety justification?

Thanks Olivia but I think most posters are being q tight lipped tbh

Surely it has to be SIr Steve lighting the flame. Can they then toss Sir Paul and Sir Elton in the flames

I'm thinking the animals will be Lion-King-esque - so people dressed up rather than the real thing.

I think the final torch bearer will be a kiddywink. Not sure how they will have been chosen but a child nonetheless.

I hope we have some kick-ass bands playing - we do that so well.

I fully expect a bit of boredom - they are always the same. Bit boring, athletes come in with flag bearers (we have a game at this point where we try and spot the lawn bowlers from various countries), then it gets a bit more exciting and then there is the torch lighting followed by loads of fireworks which are brilliant until the smoke takes over and you can't see them properly.

There are no spoilers in the thread.
More has been seen on the bbc news than mentioned on here!

I don't know if it's the same for the LSO, but there are rouuumers we might have to mime in the closing ceremony - we're of the mind that we'll probably sing but it won't have much effect. All the tracks have been recorded already, so e.g. our singing will be played out of huge speakers, because it's such a big stadium and there's so much going on (mechanical noise, crowd etc) that the choir or the orchestra or whatever may be performing at any one time won't be heard without a track being played.

Everyone could have mics to sing/play, but it would be incredibly hard for the sound engineers to get the balance right. So everything is pre-recorded. It's pretty hard to mime playing a violin, for example, without actually making a noise with the bow, so I'm sure the LSO will be playing, just that the track will be playing as well over the top, so people can hear them!

Hope that makes sense.