Thousands of pipers all playing at once is practically guaranteed to start a hooligan battle.
I agree with downplaying the spectacle. Do a half-hour show of British history since the Roman era, building to the Olympic Games, then bring in the athletes!
Hey, it’s better than the alterntative :eek:
It’s a similar population density to Chicago or Los Angeles, and less than half that of New York - there’s lots of industrial wasteland available, if you’ve got the money to spend cleaning it up. Here’s the location, although with a rather outdated picture showing construction work on the now-complete channel tunnel rail link.
Numerous stages in numerous venues is probable going to be part of the plan - something which is done regularly already, on other occassions.
Not if we make it British Empire vs. Rest Of World
Assuming he’s still alive and healthy in 2012, there’s only ONE possible choice for the lighting of the torch:
Dr. Roger Bannister.
No, he didn’t do spectacularly well in the 1952 Olympics, but still, I can’t think of a better example of amateur British athletic excellence.
I hope it’s not like what we saw in China. I’m sick of those overblown productions and Beijing was so excessive it was painful to watch. This should be a welcoming event rather than an epic production of nationalism. The NFL finally figured out that the Super Bowl halftime shows sucked and replaced them with the likes of U2 and Springsteen. I’d like the Olympics to come to the same realization and completely reinvent these ceremonies . I’m not counting on it though.
The London segment of the closing ceremonies was a bit slapdash. But I don’t think this has any bearing on what we can expect in 4 years.
Are they planning on building a new facility? Or using something existing (Wembly?)
To be really different, London should do it old fashioned, and in black and white. And not just the TV cameras–give everybody in the stadium special sunglasses that turn everything black and white. (like those cheesy “3-d” specs in 1950 movie theaters)
Then just have a guy wearing 1930’s style clothes run up the stadium steps and light the damn torch. Have the Queen wear a toga and announce “let the games begin”.
And then bring out some lions and gladiators…)
astorian - I have to admit, when I read “Dr. Roger Bannister”, my first thought was “Dr. Bruce Banner”, and thought of the Hulk. Which would be a pretty memorable start to the 2012 Olympics, but not something terribly British.
Yes, I know who Roger Bannister is.
StG
I was thinking the same thing, but more for a philosophical reason. The Chinese productions involving thousands of participants seemed appropriate in a top-down society like China. But the UK is a democracy, so I think the UK show ought to emphasize individual performers, or at most small groups. Also, it should somehow involve the multicultural nature of modern British society. Finally, it should somehow recall the 1908 and 1948 games, both of which were also in London, which is the first city to host the games three times.
Wembley Stadium has recently been rebuilt, but will only be used for football during the Olympics. I don’t think there’s room for a running track in there.
The main Olympic Park will be sited in Stratford and Leyton, East London (not Shakespeare’s Stratford). Some sports will be hosted at existing venues such as the Wimbledon tennis club.
2,012 Scottish caber toss champs heave telephone poles at the surviving members of The Spice Girls, while Def Leppard (with special musical guest Jimmy Page) plays “Rock of Ages.”
I don’t have anything for or against the Spice Girls. But if the opening ceremonies were actually going to have, as the main event, Def Leppard and Led Zeppelin teaming up to play “Rock of Ages” I would sell my house if need be to get tickets.
I knew I liked you.
The nail in the coffin of the original plans to use the new Wembley was when the FA ‘accidentally’ designed it without any entrance through which the finish of the marathon could run.
How about this: a parade of double decker red buses, one for each attending country, each with a representative of that country waving the appropriate flag. Then a body of a thousand men in bowler hats holding umbrellas will turn up and do a ballet about the weather in London. At the end, they could form an outline of the Queen waving graciously.
The Brits don’t have to do what the Chinese did. They were showing the world and more importantly their own people that they were a big noise in the world and deserved respect.
The UK is a established brand in the world. Historically and artistically they are giants in the world. I think they just need to avoid too much committee think. Give a visionary the job and see what they come up with. Make it low key with a bit of humour and British irreverence.
On and if at all possible they should get a spitfire involved in the lighting of the flame.
That’s not something we’re very good at.
Natalie Portman should somehow be involved. Clothes are optional.
I don’t think they could if they wanted to…at least not at the same price. It would be tough to find 1,000,000 “volunteers” in England.
You’re suggesting, I suspect, that the one million volunteers for the Beijing games were actually conscripts. Of course China is not a free society, but I think many Chinese saw these games as the country’s coming out party and I have no problems imagining that a million (or more) of them freely volunteered to help. I’m sure that the recent games in Los Angeles, Atlanta and Sydney also relied on thousands of volunteers. Similarly, if the British organizers wanted to do a production number involving a thousand performers, I’m sure that they could find people who would be willing to put in the time over the next four years to practice enough to do something spectacular.
But as I said previously, I think the Brits ought to emphasize subtly that they are a free, democratic, multicultural society.
