Best of British

I’ve just been to the dress rehearsal for the Opening Ceremony of London 2012 so whilst I fully intend to #savethesurprise I can tell you that it’s simply awesome. Only the British (and Danny Boyle) could have come up with something so witty, self-deprecating and ironic. There’s a refreshing absence of the portentous pomp and circumstance – so Britain at its very best.

It's thrilling, touching, silly, subtle at times and even, dare I say it, political! It was truly, truly awesome - do not miss it on Friday night!!!

We can do these things well despite our nation’s natural pessimistic tendencies. When first awarded, people pointed to the Opening ceremony as being something that we would be ashamed of, as if we could never hope to rival the ‘creativity’ of the Greeks or the mass organisation of the Chinese.  But we have chosen not to take them on in those terms and instead to create something at once entirely unique and yet instantly recognisable.

I’m sure this is a trait borne into the British. When we ask for storylines for our holiday courses at Best, for example, the children come up with some of the most extraordinary (yet unfailingly logical) threads. They find humour in the most odd places. And they make connections which seem at first illogical but which, as you consider things further, become clear and unambiguous. It’s a talent we are right to celebrate and Danny Boyle has done just that.

We’re in the middle of our summer courses now – The Tempest and Lion King are on stage on Friday and Olympic Flames and JuniorGlee come next week. The last week has Futurdrama and the Little Mermaid. Goodness knows what tales we will have told by 10 April! But I’m sure we’ll find the strangest things to laugh about and entertain our audiences thoroughly in the process.

P.S. I’ll be at the handball arena in my Olympic volunteering role in my natty poppy and purple outfit which is NOT a cause for laughter... it’s very fetching!