Choreographer swaps panto stage for Olympics opening ceremony
The event will be beamed to a worldwide television audience of more than 1bn people.
Darragh O’Leary from Mayfield is part of a vast team which will oversee the mass movement element, involving more than 15,000 performers.
It will take place inside the Olympic Stadium and organisers are promising a spectacular show.
The specific elements of artistic director Danny Boyle’s ceremony are “top secret”.
But Darragh said: “It will feature iconic British images, stories that span British history, celebrating everything that’s British, with a Danny Boyle twist.
“The pressure is building. It’s going to be epic.
“The public think it’s going to be one thing but I can assure you it’s going to blow everyone away.
“There are lots of last minute changes and fine tuning but it’s all going to be worth it. It’s going to be amazing.”
Darragh watched on Monday as performers ran through a full technical dress rehearsal in front of a specially invited audience of some 70,000 people, all sworn to secrecy.
“There are about five or six people in my team who specialise in choreographing large groups of people. There is a real technique and knack to it.
“Normally I work in theatre but this is my first large-scale ceremony. It’s a big leap for me, and a huge learning curve.
“With something so big, everything takes so much time to do,” he said.
“But the performers have given up so much time and energy to be part of the ceremony. They are what keep me going. They come back time and time again for rehearsals with such enthusiasm and energy, it’s so infectious.”
The opening will be played out against a stunning set called “Green and Pleasant”, representing a traditional view of Britain’s countryside.
As soon as the opening ceremony is over, Darragh and his team will begin preparations for the closing ceremony, before focusing on the opening for the Paralympics.
He is due back in Cork later this year to choreograph the Everyman Palace Theatre’s Christmas pantomime, Little Red Riding Hood.
