The audience at the Olympics closing ceremony were treated to a taste of Britain's comedy heritage tonight when Monty Python star Eric Idle appeared onstage.
The actor led the 80,000-strong crowd through a singalong rendition of Always Look on the Bright Side of Life, while a bizarre troupe of dancers performed around him.
They included jigging Morris Dancers, a choir of rugby players and skating nuns and when the song finished, a human cannonball was launched across the stadium.
He was followed by a performance by pop icons Queen, including vocals from Jessie J and from beyond the grave, by the band's late singer Freddie Mercury.
Spice up the stage: The Spice Girls reformed to perform a spectacular set on the top of black London taxis at the closing ceremony
Traditionally, the closing ceremony is a chance to celebrate what the athletes have achieved, with Lord Coe describing the night as a time to "party, party, party."
Entering the Olympic Stadium, the audience was treated to a vision of working London wrapped in newspaper as they were taken to the heart of the capital's busy rush hour.
As well as typically rainy weather forecasts and stocks and shares, the reams of print celebrated British literary greats from the earliest surviving Anglo-Saxon poetry to current poet laureate Carol Ann Duffy, with extracts from Shakespeare and Milton along the way.
A series of ramps - covering the track where Mo Farah and Jessica Ennis made history - formed a black and white Union Jack, the first of many versions of the flag to feature in the extravaganza.
Unwrapped on a newspaper rubbish truck, singer Emeli Sande, who performed in the opening ceremony, delighted the crowds with hit song Read All About It.
Percussion group Stomp emerged to swing from the scaffolding, playing models of the capital's landmarks including Big Ben and the London Eye as if they were instruments.
Flagbearers from participating nations parade during the closing ceremony of the London 2012 Olympic Games
After the armed services raised the flag, printed grey clouds on the stadium floor were pulled back to reveal an artistic explosion of red, white, and blue created by Damien Hirst.
As Michael Caine's classic 1969 film The Italian Job was shown on the screens, the yellow Robin Reliant of Only Fools and Horses fame made an explosive entry, with Batman and Robin staggering from the wreckage in reference to one of the classic British comedy's most famous episodes.
Madness joined the stage with the infectious beat of Our House as the cast ripped newspaper from the cars, revealing bright vehicles with multi-coloured balloons floating from their boots.
Echoing the song's original video, saxophonist Lee Thompson was lifted to play solo high above the track.
A total of 160 guards from the Massed Bands of the Household Division marched behind Madness before playing Blur's Parklife.
The Pet Shop Boys, riding on rickshaws, performed West End Girls, followed by X Factor phenomenon One Direction with their hit What Makes You Beautiful.
In another nod to the Queen's Diamond Jubilee, 10 large trucks burst open to reveal street parties representing all walks of London life.
Some 30 gymnasts from Britain's Got Talent troupe Spelbound contorted themselves to illustrate the lyrics of The Beatles' A Day in The Life.
As the day drew to a close, The Kinks' frontman Ray Davies arrived in a black cab singing his 1960s hit Waterloo Sunset.
As a funfair scene emerged, a shimmering river of 270 children from 10 schools in the six east London host boroughs weaved its way through the melee to Sande's reprise of Read All About It.
As many of the 10,000 athletes from the 204 nations involved in the Games flooded into the stadium, filling the areas between the ramped stage, they joined hands during Elbow's performance of Open Arms and One Day Like This.
United nations: Flagbearers take part in the athletes' march during the closing ceremony
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
It was, of course, the much-anticipated reunion of the Spice Girls - reformed for one night only to perform Spice Up Your Life and Wannabe from the roofs of the cabs.
Former Oasis star Liam Gallagher continued the run of British classics with his band Beady Eye for the 1990s hit WonderWall.
As Electric Light Orchestra's Mr Blue Sky filled the stadium, home-made flying machines made several attempts to get off the ground as a would-be rocket man played by Monty Python comedian Eric Idle collapsed under the stage, only to return to lead the crowds in a new version of Always Look On The Bright Side of Life.
CLOSING CEREMONY BY NUMBERS
2 cannons used during the closing ceremony.
4 tipper trucks used in one section of the extravaganza.
6 flying machines featured in the show.
20 large inflatable silver pinballs were released among the athletes.
At least 40 members of gymnastics troupe Spelbound.
40 hours three people spent lining up the images to the irregular shape of the seating bowls.
50 scooters pimped up by the cast themselves.
50, the diameter in metres of the octopus when fully extended.
101 fragments used to create the face of John Lennon.
108 vehicles in the first scene - 10 black cabs, 10 wedding cars, 10 vintage cars, 10 sports cars, 10 modern cars, 10 cars with trailers, 10 trucks, 10 mopeds, four white vans, eight bikes, eight folding bikes, and eight skateboards.
270 children formed the River Thames from 10 schools.
3,500 in the cast of the London 2012 closing ceremony.
5,600 square metres - the specially commissioned floor covering created by Damien Hirst.
10,000 lights used to transform the newsprint city into a luminous fun fair in the fairground scene.
70,799 small panels mounted between the seats to create the audience pixel screen, each one with nine LED pixels.
Joined by a surreal collection of jigging Morris Dancers, a choir of rugby players and skating nuns, a human cannonball was launched across the stadium.
Muse, known for their fascination with outer space, took to the stage next with their London 2012 Olympic song Survival.
Four tipper trucks, driven to centre stage, exploded in a fury of pyrotechnics as their raised tailgates became screens showing footage of Freddie Mercury performing live in 1986 at Wembley Stadium.
With "deyo, deyo" ringing out across the stadium, Queen's Roger Taylor emerged while bandmate Brian May made his way through the crowd performing the guitar solo from Brighton Rock before joining Jessie J for the classic anthem We Will Rock You.
As an arrow pointed to Rio de Janeiro, the host city for 2016, the Greek flag was raised in honour of the origins of the Games.
After the Olympic Flag was lowered by members of the armed forces, the Olympic Anthem rang out sung by the London Welsh Male Voice Choir and the London Welsh Rugby Club Choir.
The capital's mayor Boris Johnson had the honour of passing the flag to Mr Rogge, who in turn presented it to Rio Mayor Eduardo Paes, each waving the traditional four times.
Celebrating the first time a South American country hosts the Games, a mix of cultures, music and dance marked the handover.
From a solitary street cleaner practising Samba steps, a carnival parade invaded the stage as Brazilian pop singer Marisa Monte entered with a giant gown representing water goddess Yemanja, who is celebrated on New Year's Eve on Copacabana Beach.
Actor-singer Seu Jorge joined an acrobatic group of Capoeira fighters and dancing couples, including model Alessandra Ambrosio, as the whole cast reunited in front of Rio's skyline.
London 2012 chair Sebastian Coe then joined IOC president Jacques Rogge on stage, and addressed the crowd.
The Locog boss said: ‘We lit the flame and we lit up the world. Once again we have shown ourselves worthy. For that I want to say thank you.’
‘Thank you to the people of this country. At our closing ceremony we can say these are a Games by everyone.’
During a round of appreciation he offered his gratitude to the Olympic volunteers who gave their time ‘energy and goodwill, and ‘to the IOC who have been with us every step of the way.’
After thanking the athletes and before introducing IOC President Jacques Rogge, he added: ‘When our time came Britain we did it right – thank you.’
Rogge added: 'These were happy and glorious Games. The legacy of the Games of the XXX Olympiad will become clear in many ways.
'Concrete improvements in infrastructure will benefit the host nation for years to come.
'The human legacy will reach every region of the world.
'Many young people will be inspired to take up a sport or to pursue their dreams.'
Rogge said the 17 days of the Olympics had been "unforgettable" and he paid tribute to London 2012 chairman Sebastian Coe.
'The organising committee, well supported by the public authorities, did a superb job," he said.
'We will never forget the smiles, the kindness and the support of the wonderful volunteers, the much-needed heroes of these Games.
'You, the spectators and the public, provided the soundtrack for these Games.
'Your enthusiastic cheers energised the competitors and brought a festive spirit to every Olympic venue.
'You have shown the world the best of British hospitality.'
Dead on midnight the flame that reached all corners of the UK over 70 days was extinguished.
Normal 0 false false false EN-GB X-NONE X-NONE MicrosoftInternetExplorer4
As the dying flame flickered in the Olympic cauldron, a new flame emerged in the form of a phoenix suspended above the audience.
After much speculation over whether they would perform or not after Gary Barlow's tragic loss of his stillborn daughter, Take That - minus Robbie Williams whose wife is due to give birth - took to the stage with hit single Rule The World.
As they left the stage, the flaming figure of prima ballerina Darcey Bussell descended on the stadium from its roof, joining more than 200 ballerinas dancing to David Arnold's Spirit of the Flame.
After performing a mesmerising dance representing the fire in the torch, they moved towards the cauldron, bowing down below it.
As the stadium became a sea of red, white and blue for the grand finale, The Who burst into Baba O'Riley and See Me, Feel Me as a montage of faces, including volunteers, fans, security guards, youngsters and troops flashed across the screens.
Building to its climax, the faces multiplied, expressing a sense of unity in the UK and beyond.
Bussell then led the Brazilian performers in a procession around the stadium.
Rock superstars The Who ended the night with a performance of Baba Reilly and a medley of their other hits, as a fireworks lit up the London sky.
And the Games were over.
Add New Comment
Showing 6 comments