Danny Boyle Admits Excitement Ahead Of Olympic Opening Ceremony; What Can We Expect?

As the countdown to the London 2012 Olympic ceremony ticks down to a little over two hours away, Danny Boyle, the brains behind the grand opening, has been keeping his cards close to his chest right until the end. Boyle has instead turned his attention to the thousands of volunteers who will actually be charged with executing his vision for the ceremony, saying that his thoughts are with them as they undertake probably the biggest task in their lives to-date. "It has been a long road but we are almost there, and I am thinking about the volunteers," Boyle said in an interview reported by the Daily Mirror. "Directors really just sit at the back, but this is a live performance and they are the ones who have to go out there and do it. Any nervousness I feel is for them, and the excitement I feel I hope they share."

Boyle said it was a once-in-a-lifetime experience for all involved. "I'm looking forward to it, it will never come round again, so it's very exciting." Though the 'Trainspotting' director has been keeping largely quiet about what will happen tonight, the public have been allowed in for rehearsals that have been going on through the week and it's already been confirmed that stars like David Beckham, Dizzee Rascal and Paul McCartney will have roles to play during the evening's proceedings. Health permitting MUHAMMED ALI will also be involved too.

The Daily Mirror has delved deeper and has given a hint of what viewers can expect this evening from the £27 million production. The theme for the night is 'Isles Of Wonder', inspired by William Shakespeare's play 'The Tempest', and is rumoured to start with James Bond - played by Daniel Craig of course - being summoned to Buckingham Palace where he's told that his latest mission is to launch the Olympic Games. From there we can expect a rural green landscape - as seen widely in the media from preview pictures all week - with real livestock set to be part of the scene. The event will celebrate the past, present and future of Britain, with the NHS apparently being paid tribute to during the course of the action whilst performers dressed as miners and factory workers will represent the country's industrial heritage.

The ceremony is set to range from the fantastical, and the celebration of Britain's great fictional characters including Mary Poppins and the evil Lord Voldemorth from Harry Potter, to the country's popular culture - which we imagine is where MCCartney might crop up. It sounds like it's going to be an almighty extravaganza, putting to rest fears that LOCOG (London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games ) wouldn't be able to compete with Beijing's fireworks and pyrotechnics of four years ago.