Why saving the surprise is impossible

The opening scene. Or is it?

So, the spoilers have started – and only four weeks until we all finally see Danny Boyle’s vision for an Olympic opening ceremony.

I am sat firmly on the fence with this. Firstly, in an era when real-time information makes prescience a pastime, keeping a lid on this was always going to be an impossible task. Given 60,000 people (and animals) are involved in the staging of the event, Chinese whispers were always inevitable; you just can’t control that many people.

They have tried valiantly though. I know of a reporter from a well-known national daily newspaper who auditioned for a role in the ceremony, subsequently writing an article about their experience. On attending the next rehearsal, they were frog-marched off the premises with the threat of losing their Olympic accreditation for good ringing in their ears.

But can they really expect to keep a lid on it all the way to 27 July? Not really. They have admirably tried being up-front to put off the naysayers. The unveiling of the opening scene two weeks ago was a clear attempt at that. The assumption being that a national newspaper would only have to charter a helicopter to fly over the stadium with a photographer on board to see it anyway.

Some have suggested it’s a red herring, and the glint in Boyle’s eye during the media interviews certainly suggested that all was not as it seemed. Let’s not forget this is the film director who gave us a heroin addict soiling himself, Indian beggars made blind and a man sawing his arm off with a penknife. Conventional is probably the last thing we can expect the ceremony to be.

Of the details which have been released (which I will not list here) the most troubling for me is the appearance of Paul McCartney. A Beatle, yes; but he is also a 70-year-old music veteran who will only appeals to a certain demographic. I also hate Hey Jude (the song tipped to close the show).

If true, this really is off-kilter with the over-riding theme of these Games of inspiring young people. I would rather have a more relevant young performer like Dizzie Rascal take centre stage. But then maybe he is part of the plan anyway. I hope so.

But even I don’t want too many spoilers. As a GamesMaker I will be attending a dress rehearsal two days before. Will I tell people what I see? No, but by then will I be seeing anything that hasn't been leaked anyway?

I would expect a few leaked videos as well over the next few weeks. The Beijing ceremony four years ago suffered the same indignity so we should not be too surprised if it does happen.

What I do know is this: some aspects of the show will not be rehearsed in front of an audience and some pieces – such as the lighting of the torch (and who does it) – will be a closely kept secret.

How do I know? I asked someone at LOCOG who has worked at several Games and they confirmed that the lighting of the torch never forms part of any rehearsal in front of spectators.

This is the piece of the ceremony where I feel most strongly. I don’t want to know who is going to do it or how it will be done. It has the potential to be the iconic moment of the ceremony and I want the surprise on that one.

As long as it’s not David Beckham, obviously.