OLYMPIC COUNTDOWN: MARK RYLANCE TAKES PART IN OPENING CEREMONY OF OLYMPICS
Posted on 28 April 2012
Award winning actor Mark Rylance who returns to the West End this year in Richard III and Twelfth Night at The Globe and then at the Apollo Theatre later this year will show his acting chops in a starring role at the Olympic opening ceremony.
He is taking part in the Cultural Olympiad performing in Pop-up Shakespeare and during the opening ceremony will read The Isles of Wonder, a speech from The Tempest and also the name of the ceremony as inspired by Shakespeare's writing.
During his tenure as Artistic Director of The Globe from 1995 to 2005, apart from directing and acting in every season, Rylance was at the forefront of ensuring that the productions were genuinely in the style of the time period they were set including the clothing, music, dance and settings.
London is the first city in the history of the games to host the event 3 times. Film and stage Director Danny Boyle is the artistic director for the opening ceremony and the games will be opened by Her Majesty The Queen and the Duke of Edinburgh. In a celebration of all things British, there will also be a short film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond.
More than 10,000 artists will participate in Boyle's three-hour show. The music is being written by Underworld, the dance music pair of Karl Hyde and Rick Smith, who wrote the score for Danny Boyle's recent huge stage hit Frankenstein. He is creating 'The Isles of Wonder' to reflect the setting of the play. The words "...be not afeard. The isle is full of noises" will reportedly be engraved on a giant 23-ton bell that will ring during the ceremony.
With an expected 1 Billion people expected to tune in for the ceremony, don't miss one of Britain's best stage actors Mark Rylance!
Book Richard III tickets online now.
[posted by Louise, 28/04/2012]
