A Seagull’s Story
‘And I've been searching for my wings I've been searching for my wings some time.' Antony Hegarty, ‘Bird Gerhl’
On Wednesday 29th August I had the utmost privilege to perform as a volunteer cast member at the 2012 Opening Ceremony of the Paralympics Games, entitled Enlightenment. My role was as a Seagull puppeteer in the Navigation section, and I feel very overwhelmed by the experience – a truly amazing, emotional, human journey that I shall never forget.
I believe there was some presence of fate that I was chosen to play such a special role (as featured in a photograph included in ‘Hello’ magazine and a spread on page 8 and 9 of the Evening Standard, no less!); one of 50 flying Seagull puppeteers who would flock around Miranda’s boat - a character inspired by the heroine of Shakespeare’s The Tempest, and played in the ceremony by Nicola Miles-Wildin, a young disabled actor. Like Prospero’s daughter, our Miranda looks at the world with a sense of wonder – making her eyes our eyes.
I had originally auditioned for a part in the Olympics Opening Ceremony to be held on Friday 27th July - but only secured a Reserve place. I was initially devastated that I may not ever have the chance to be a volunteer performer but, in fact, as things usually turn out, it was the best thing that could have happened! This is because I had been invited to a very special wedding in Lake Bled, Slovenia which was to be held on Friday 27th July – the same day as the Opening Ceremony! So fate had definitely dealt me a lucky hand when I was told there was a volunteer role for me in the Paralympics Opening Ceremony on Wednesday 29th August.... if I was still interested. It didn’t take me more than a nanosecond to hit the Accept reply button!
After just over 50 hours of rehearsals spread out over three venues - at the Three Mills Studios in Bromley-by-Bow, in the middle of a huge disused Ford car park in Dagenham (in 80 degree heat on the hottest weekend of the year) and 2 dress rehearsals in the Olympic Stadium itself, the Seagulls were finally ready for their first live performance to an audience of 80,000 people and 11 million TV viewers!
The whole of the Navigation section (which included, apart from Seagulls, Whirlers, Pods, Poles, Push, Readers...) had rehearsed in isolation, so we did not have any idea what the rest of the Ceremony Performance would be about, or even look like. In fact, the first time we all got to see most of the Ceremony was on the actual Ceremony night, watching from our comfortable dressing room on a large TV screen. Since the Navigation section was due on stage after the Athlete’s Parade, which ran over by an hour on the actual show night, we did manage to enjoy watching a great deal of it before we were called down to VOM 5 – our holding area - in the bowels of the Stadium.
Finally, the whole Enlightenment concept, and what our role with Miranda was in an upturned umbrella boat, started to make sense! I was particularly drawn to Stephen Hawking’s message, ‘Look up at the stars, and not down at your feet. Try to make sense of what you see, and wonder about what makes the universe exist. Be curious.’ This, indeed we were and, when we realised how beautiful our Seagulls actually looked against a backdrop of blue light, making the pages of our Seagull Books appear to float like birds on the wing, we too were mesmerised. Our Dance Captain, Danielle told us that there was something special in the air...that the way people would view disability, and what can actually be achieved by individuals, would definitely start to change from now on, especially after watching the Ceremony spectacular. The message was clear: to celebrate the empowering possibilities of ideas, science and creativity, through which we can realise our full potential – who we are and who we aspire to be.
At last, at 11.30 p.m. our time had arrived to walk boldly in to the Stadium, in our 5 separate Flocks, (I was Seagull Number 2 in Flock 1), holding our individual Seagull puppets (which we had all, personally, grown very fond of) and we flapped in time, to our well rehearsed sequence. We moved swiftly around Miranda’s boat in set circle forms to the beautiful music played by the London Symphony Orchestra. The music then became more storm-like and we flapped faster, tilted and swayed until we were cued to leave the stage via our radio earpieces. Our 4 minute performance was complete and we returned to VOM 5 to rapturous clapping and cheers from our fellow performers waiting in the wings for their turn. The smile on my face was like a Cheshire cat! We had done it!
And we didn’t have long to wait to join in the Finale - our chance to sing and ‘sign’ to ‘I Am What I Am’ sang by Beverley Knight, along with the Stadium audience. What a feeling that was to be in the middle of so many people, with the lit Paralympic Cauldron glowing behind me and surrounded by the many new friends I had made, as well as all the other volunteer co-performers.
What a night!