Shakespeare to inspire London 2012 Olympic opening ceremony

London, Jan 28(ANI): The Board of Avon, William Shakespeare, will be the inspiration for the opening ceremony of the London Olympics this year.

The ceremony will also feature National Health Service (NHS) nurses and 900 students.

Noted director Danny Boyle is the brainchild behind the 27 million pounds worth Olympic opening ceremony, which is one-third of the total budget of 81 million pounds allotted for Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies.

The ceremony will commence with the ringing of a giant bell emblazoned with a line from a speech by Caliban in William Shakespeare's The Tempest: 'Be not afeard, the isle is full of noises'.

The bell weighs 27 tonnes and is being struck today at the Whitechapel Bell foundry.

The bell would hang at one end of the stadium, and Boyle wants people to hear it 'for hundreds of years'.

"We are trying to capture a sense of humour. With the NHS we got an idea and then tried to make sense of it. Why not nurses and children and connect the two together? I daren't say anymore because I've been told not to," The Telegraph quoted Boyle, as saying.

Boyle said he would be taking his lead from previous Olympics and would be proud if it becomes as affable as the opening ceremony of the Sydney Olympics was.

"I'd be very honored if we were compared to Sydney and became a People's Games," he added. (ANI)