Judi Dench to feature in Rio Olympics opening ceremony
Judi Dench is reportedly set to read a poem during the opening ceremony of the 2016 Olympic Games in Rio, Brazil on Friday (05Jul16).
The veteran British actress is one of the few non-Brazilian performers who will take to the stage at the Maracana Stadium to help kick off the 2016 sporting tournament in Rio de Janeiro, according to Britain's Daily Telegraph newspaper.
The 81-year-old will reportedly read A Flor e a Nausea (Flower and Nausea), a poem by late Brazilian poet Carlos Drummond de Andrade, with veteran Brazilian actress Fernanda Montenegro, 86, during a section dedicated to Brazil's environment. The poem is about a flower that grows between cracks in a road in a polluted city.
The four-hour show is set to be a more low key event compared to the 2012 London Olympics, which were organized by director Danny Boyle, and featured highlights such as a sketch with Daniel Craig as James Bond and Queen Elizabeth II, who appeared to parachute out of a helicopter.
Marco Baluch, executive producer of the ceremony, said, “This is not an opulent event given the situation in Brazil. It does not have the grandiosity of Beijing, the huge special effects of Athens, the eccentricity and technological skills of London. It is an analog opening ceremony.”
Other famous faces to feature in the ceremony include Brazilian model Gisele Bundchen, who will walk the runway. It was reported she would appear to be mugged during her segment, but director Fernando Meirelles said the sketch wasn't funny so it was cut.
Transgender model Lea T, who will be the first transperson to have a key role in an Olympics ceremony, will also be involved, although her part hasn't been revealed.
She said, "The message is very clear - regardless of gender, sexual orientation, color, race or creed, we are all human beings and we are all part of society."
The Rio Olympics closing ceremony will take place at the same stadium on 21 August (16).
Content published on this page is provided by, and copyrighted by the World Entertainment News Network (WENN). No unauthorized reproduction or re-publication in any medium whatsoever is permitted without prior written permission from WENN.
