London 2012: Are green and pleasant Games a real reflection of the UK? - BBC News
Meadows, fields, rivers, farmers tilling the soil and people playing cricket on the village green. It's the British countryside the Olympics opening ceremony will beam around the world. But is this rural idyll a realistic representation of the UK?
On 27 July the Olympic Stadium is to be transformed into country scenes as part of artistic director Danny Boyle's vision of a "Green and Pleasant" land.
He says the show was inspired by Shakespeare's play The Tempest and is about a land recovering from its industrial legacy. It will be a "reflection of part of our heritage" as well as a look to the future.
It is also meant to evoke William Blake's poem Jerusalem, which is seen as an emblem of Englishness.
But at a time when large-scale infrastructure projects such as HS2 and Heathrow's third runway are high on the political landscape, along with nuclear power stations and wind farms, and a rising population, is this rural idyll really recognisable?
For the Times' leader, the image of British life that instantly springs to mind is a somewhat different one.
"No! Not queues at Heathrow passport control and opportunistic entrepreneurs hawking 50p umbrellas for a fiver outside rainy Underground stations.
"It will be a portrait that brushes aside the workaday dust of daily life to reveal a country as recognisable to Caliban [from The Tempest] as his isle 'full of noises, sounds and sweet airs, that give delight and hurt not' as it is to John Major as his 'country of long shadows on cricket grounds, warm beer, invincible green suburbs, dog lovers and pools-fillers'," it says.
But it goes on to say Boyle has "rightly, interpreted his task as a celebration of what gives this country tang, a celebration that he aims to be idyllic, but not naive" - noting clouds, that can produce real rain, will hang over the stadium to bring the UK's signature summer weather to the proceedings.
The Daily Mail's Paul Harris is not so generous. He thinks people "could be forgiven for thinking it looked more like the land time forgot".
"Or for wondering, perhaps, if someone had unwittingly recreated Tinky Winky's Teletubbyland instead of Blake's Jerusalem," he goes on.
The Teletubby theme continues in the Daily Express, which thinks "the opening extravaganza is all a bit Laa-laa". "All it seems to need are Tinky Winky, Dipsy and Laa-Laa from the TV series," it says.
The Independent's Grace Dent is even less impressed. "Ducks force-fed shortbread, teens drunk on cider, petrol vigilantes... that's the real countryside, Danny Boyle," she says.
Dent also has a cautionary word about the nation's glee levels potentially dropping to "mild elation".
"You know that bit when the lights go out at the O2 and Kanye West emerges on a 50ft pink neon sugarcube? We want that. You know when Coldplay give out 40,000 LED Xylobands that pulsate right through Hurts Like Heaven when you're two drinks in? That, give us THAT," she says.
So is this vision of a green and pleasant land really the best way to show off the UK?
Rupert Uloth, the deputy editor of Country Life magazine, says it is "wonderful" that the UK is being celebrated through its countryside as it is "one of the most precious and valuable assets we have as a country".
"Lots of visitors come here to see it. For people who live in cities in Britain, it might be a bit of a dream or ideal, but people love getting out to the countryside, which is why we have national parks and a wonderful network of walkways and bridle paths.
"It is great that Danny Boyle is using it as a totem because everyone is aware of it," he says.
For Uloth, using the British countryside as a national emblem is "clever" because it is so unique.
"Because of its hedges, green grass, dairy cows and native trees, it couldn't be any other country in the world. And although cricket is played in other places, the context of a village green is very English," he says.
Uloth agrees projects such as HS2 and Heathrow's potential third runway are topical issues, but he says the fact they are so controversial only accentuates how special the countryside is, and "how worried people are about losing it".
Ellis Cashmore, professor of culture, media and sport at Staffordshire University, thinks Boyle is "a bit of a romantic" and takes an aspirational stance.
"I suppose we have to understand that this is not meant to be a graphic representation, but a satisfying vision of a perfect Britain - the place we'd all like to inhabit, not the actual place where we live out our daily lives," he says.
But he also makes the point that a more urban, or troubled, theme, might not be very picturesque.
"In fairness to Boyle, he wouldn't be expected to design a landscape where there are feral youths rioting in inner cities, or football fans spitting out racist abuse.
"His concession to youth is the moshpits. Are these still current? I thought they were very nineties," he says.
But what of Blake's "dark Satanic mills"?
"Well, it isn't quite William Blake, but it embodies many of the Chariots of Fire ideals," says Cashmore.
London 2012 Olympics: Philip Hindes makes Great Britain sprint squad - The Guardian
Philip Hindes is the surprise inclusion in the Great Britain track cycling team for the London Olympic Games after being named on Wednesday – at the tender age of 19 – as starter in the team sprint squad alongside Sir Chris Hoy.
Less surprising was the inclusion of David Millar in the men's road squad. The 35-year-old Scot was banned for two years in 2004 after admitting use of the banned blood booster EPO. He is now a fervent anti-doping campaigner and was last month officially cleared to compete at the London Games after the British Olympic Association's bylaw banning drug cheats for life was revoked.
According to the GB head coach, Shane Sutton, Hindes, who was born in Germany, could emulate the squad's discovery of 2008, his other team-mate Jason Kenny.
"Philip is the find of the century as far as I'm concerned and he could follow the same course as Jason," said Sutton. Like Kenny, Hindes has risen rapidly at the right time, coming from left field to claim a place in the squad: like the Lancastrian in 2008, he is expected to improve right up to the very last moment.
Hindes, who is still officially part of the academy, put himself into contention after being selected for the world championships in Melbourne in April. He shaved a fifth of a second off his personal best for the opening lap there in spite of a problem with the start gate, posting the fourth fastest time in qualifying, although the team was disqualified for changing outside the designated zone. That was clearly a setback, but his sheer speed appears to have convinced the Great Britain coaches, and Sutton has waxed lyrical about his application since then.
"Philip has really moved on since the worlds. He's very dialled, very focused. He's got leaner, he's been living like a podium athlete for the last few months and when he tapers he will go faster than in Melbourne for sure. It's incredible the way he has applied himself, above and beyond the call of duty.
"He's always been strong over the first half lap, his strength has been what he produces between a quarter and a half. His delivery [the ability to release the man following him in the three-man team sprint line-up] hasn't been great but he's young and he's moving on at a rapid pace."
Hindes was born in Krefeld, Germany, and represented Germany at the junior world championships in 2010, where, en route to the bronze medal, he became the youngest rider ever to go below 18sec for the first lap in the team sprint. He joined the Great Britain sprint academy – he qualifies through his British father – at the end of that year having made initial contact through the British sprint squad's German coach Jan van Eijden.
"He gives us something we were looking for, which we weren't finding with Ross [Edgar – the previous option at man one]," said Sutton. "He gives us that extra kick. Keeping Jason at man two and Sir Chris at man three means Chris in particular can concentrate on keeping his length [the capacity to sustain an effort over more than one lap] for the keirin."
Since 2010 and the retirement of Jamie Staff, whose electric start contributed hugely to the team's gold medal in Beijing, Great Britain have been continually experimenting with the team sprint lineup.
Other riders who have come into the frame and drifted out include Edgar – named as a reserve – the BMX rider Liam Phillips and the 2000 Olympic kilometre champion Jason Queally as a possible man three behind Kenny and Hoy.
Edgar did not go fast enough from man one at the London World Cup and was not selected for the world championships, but remained in contention for a place and will train as part of the squad until London, in essence as back-up in case one of the squad falls ill or is injured. He is a versatile athlete, who was close to being selected at man two in Beijing until Kenny's meteoric rise that spring, and who took silver in the keirin in China behind Hoy.
GB cycling teams for London 2012
Track men's sprint Sir Chris Hoy, Jason Kenny, one from Philip Hindes, Ross Edgar, Matt Crampton
Women's sprint Jess Varnish, Victoria Pendleton
Track men's endurance Peter Kennaugh, Ed Clancy, Andy Tennant, Steven Burke, Geraint Thomas
Women's endurance Wendy Houvenaghel, Laura Trott, Jo Rowsell, Dani King
BMX Liam Phillips, Shanaze Reade
Mountain bike Liam Killeen, Annie Last
Women's road Nicole Cooke, Emma Pooley, Lizzie Armitstead, Sharon Laws, Lucy Martin, Katie Colclough
Men's road Mark Cavendish, Bradley Wiggins, David Millar, Chris Froome, Steve Cummings, Jeremy Hunt, Ian Stannard, Ben Swift
London Olympics' Road Routes Revealed - Sky.com
TfL suggests taking other routes or other forms of transport during the period
12:32pm UK, Tuesday June 12, 2012
Drivers are being urged to avoid central London from mid-July as the transport network gears up for the Olympic Games.
The Olympic Route Network (ORN), a 109-mile network of roads linking Games venues from mid-July, is being brought in for the duration of the Games.
"During the Games, London will be turned into a massive sporting and cultural venue," London's transport commissioner Peter Hendy said.
"We have plans in place to get all athletes, officials and the world's media to their Games events on time and to keep London moving and open for business.
Work will be completed by the time the torch relay reaches London
"From mid-July, central London and areas around Games venues will be much busier than usual. The ORN, which is part of the host city contract for the Games, will be a vital part of managing the busy roads and delivering a great Games.
"It will come into operation on July 25, a couple of days before the opening ceremony and our advice to motorists is clear. From mid-July, avoid driving in central London, around the ORN and Games venues."
The ORN, including 30 miles of reserved Games Lanes, will open two days ahead of the Olympic opening ceremony and will be a key route to help the athletes, officials, media and sponsors who are expected to descend on London "in significant numbers" from July 16.
Congestion is expected and the M4 Games Lane is due to open from July 16 to help with the increased traffic, Transport for London (TfL) said.
Major building work for the ORN, including installing barriers for junctions, will start on July 20, with the aim of finishing it by the time the torch relay comes to London.
New road markings will be in place from the beginning of July with changes to more than 1,300 sets of traffic signals also up and running.
TfL says the changes will have only a small impact on road users because they will be offset by a complete ban on planned road works along the ORN and on all A and B roads.
The ORN and the Games Lanes will be enforced from 6am to midnight from July 25 and finish within three days of the Games ending.
Gatz: Eight-hour Gatsby play opens in London - BBC News
The full text of F Scott Fitzgerald's Great Gatsby has been performed in London, in an eight-hour show at the Noel Coward Theatre.
Critics attended the press preview of Gatz on Wednesday, with the audience taking their seats at 14:30 BST.
The play has transferred from New York, where it was called "a work of singular imagination and intelligence" by the New York Times.
It runs for a month, as part of the London 2012 Festival.
Some of the famous faces attending Wednesday's performance included Sherlock star Benedict Cumberbatch, actress Juliet Stevenson and playwright Sir David Hare and his wife, designer Nicole Farhi.
Other audience members included 83-year-old Patricia Macnaughton.
"Because I'm an old lady I've brought a cushion," she told the BBC.
Sophie Kisilevsky, 20, added: "I'm quite glad there are a few breaks because it's so long and I've heard it's quite intense."
The first interval arrived at 16:30 BST. BBC arts correspondent Rebecca Jones said "not everyone stayed awake" for the first act, which stretched through to chapter three of the book.
"One woman I saw had slipped off her shoes," she said.
"A man was nibbling dried mangoes to keep his energy levels up. Another audience member said he wasn't enthralled... yet."
'Marathon'Published in 1925, The Great Gatsby has long been regarded as a US literary classic.
The view after eight hours
10:45pm Scott Shepherd, a comedy actor playing Nick Carraway sat alone on the stage and recited the final lines from the Great Gatsby.
There was silence and then a standing ovation with one wag shouting "encore". And now it's all over I can't help wondering whether Gatz is really great theatre.
It's undoubtedly an artistic event but that's as much to do with the length of the production as what you actually see on stage.
Whatever else though, it is a reminder of what F Scott Fitzgerald described as the "inexhaustible variety of life".
Set in New York, the story is about the dreams and delusions of the nouveau riche in the 1920s.
The idea to turn the novel into a stage play came from John Collins, of experimental theatre group Elevator Repair Service.
He told the Guardian the aim was to make a show using "non-dramatic source material. To take something from one medium and make it work in our medium."
The production begins in an office that has clearly seen better days. As an unenthusiastic employee waits for his computer to boot up, he discovers a battered copy of Gatsby, and reads the opening line: "In my younger and more vulnerable years, my father gave me some advice..."
Over the course of the next eight hours (including three intervals), the character recites, and is seduced by, the text of the Jazz Age novel. Gradually, his work colleagues "become" characters in the novel, the text merging with real life.
Scott Shepherd, the actor who plays the narrator Nick Carraway, said he now knows the text of Gatsby off by heart.
His other cast-mates have likened the performance to a "marathon".
"They serve us Power Bars in chapter four, get a cigarette in chapter eight, and maybe if you're lucky a shot of whiskey," Jim Fletcher, who plays Jay Gatsby, told The Huffington Post during the play's New York run.
"[The show] becomes your day. It has a way of absorbing whatever your state is," Shepherd added.
"So when I get exhausted, it's like, 'ok that's what we're going to funnel'. The channelling of the book will then come through this exhaustion."
Gatz is one of three productions of Fitzgerald's novel due this year.
A musical adaption will open at the King's Head Theatre in Islington, north London in August.
Moulin Rouge director Baz Luhrmann is also putting the finishing touches to a 3D film adaptation, starring British actress Carey Mulligan, Tobey Maguire and Leonardo DiCaprio, who takes the title role.
A trailer for the movie, which is scheduled for release at the end of the year, was released in May.
It is scored by anachronistic music from the likes of rappers Jay-Z and Kanye West, suggesting the movie will use a similarly scattergun approach to Luhrmann's updated version of Romeo and Juliet.
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