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You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.guardian.co.uk/media/mediamonkeyblog/2013/feb/12/olympic-opening-ceremony-frank-cottrell-boyce

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Olympic opening show's string theory Olympic opening show's string theory
(7 months later)
Revealed: the previously-unknown role played by a washing line in Danny Boyle's much acclaimed London Olympics opening extravaganza. Frank Cottrell Boyce, who wrote the opening ceremony in collaboration with director Boyle, tells the new issue of Radio Times: "Even the biggest stories can be broken down into little tasks. The Olympic Ceremony was hours long and included thousands of people, but the key was to break it into little sections. We hung up a washing line in our office, and we attached different bits of paper with what we wanted to include. So we would have the Queen hanging on one part of the line and chimney stacks on another, and we built up this washing line." Cottrell Boyce, who was giving advice for young writers entering Radio 2's short story competition, added: "We would go along the line saying: 'That bit is good, that bit needs work' and in the end it was just a matter of getting enough good bits to make a show. Make a washing line in your head – is every bit good from beginning to end?" If you keep getting your ideas mixed up, double check you're not using a tumble dryer.Revealed: the previously-unknown role played by a washing line in Danny Boyle's much acclaimed London Olympics opening extravaganza. Frank Cottrell Boyce, who wrote the opening ceremony in collaboration with director Boyle, tells the new issue of Radio Times: "Even the biggest stories can be broken down into little tasks. The Olympic Ceremony was hours long and included thousands of people, but the key was to break it into little sections. We hung up a washing line in our office, and we attached different bits of paper with what we wanted to include. So we would have the Queen hanging on one part of the line and chimney stacks on another, and we built up this washing line." Cottrell Boyce, who was giving advice for young writers entering Radio 2's short story competition, added: "We would go along the line saying: 'That bit is good, that bit needs work' and in the end it was just a matter of getting enough good bits to make a show. Make a washing line in your head – is every bit good from beginning to end?" If you keep getting your ideas mixed up, double check you're not using a tumble dryer.
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