Gavin said he wants to put a "UK stamp" on the proceedings. Speaking to The Stage, Gavin said: "I think first and foremost [on my mind] is what would you like to see in the stadium and how do you want to feel. We have a time constraint, in that the last thing that happens in the stadium is 16 hours before we have to perform so that has to be considered as well."
James Bond film composer David Arnold takes up the post of music director for the two closing productions and Es Devlin will design the closing Olympic ceremony. Devlin has designed for Glyndebourne, the Royal Opera House and the National Theatre in the past, as well as recently designing Lady Gaga's Monster Ball tour.
London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe said: "We're delighted that the best of British creative talent have joined us and the London 2012 Olympic and Paralympic Opening and Closing Ceremonies are certainly in the best possible hands."
West End News - West End musical Legally Blonde has won four prizes at this year's What's On Stage Awards. The show's leading lady Sheridan Smith took home the prize for best actress in a musical and co-star Jill Halfpenny won best supporting actress. The Savoy Theatre production was also named best new musical and scooped the gong for best choreographer. Sheridan Smith said: "Thank you to everyone at the Savoy theatre. You're a well-oiled machine - I was just a small cog in the wheel."
Sales Statistics - Susan Boyle scored the most successful album overseas by a UK artist for a second year running, research by Music Week magazine suggests. The Gift sold 3.7m copies abroad compared with the 6m shifted by her debut I Dreamed A Dream. Boyle's record was followed by Sade's Soldier of Love, with 2.3m, and Mumford and Sons' Brits-winning album Sigh No More, which sold 1.3 m.
(Jim Evans)
