? Choreographer to oversee Olympic and Paralympic closers
? Es Devlin and David Arnold also part of design team
The creative force behind Take That's acclaimed Circus tour has been joined by a costume and stage set designer for Lady Gaga and the music composer on the past five James Bond films to mastermind the London 2012 closing ceremony ? and he spent his first day on the job criticising past efforts by Olympic hosts.
Kim Gavin, who has been announced as the ceremony's artistic director, has produced shows and performances including the record-breaking Take That tour and the band's upcoming European Progress tour, which has reunited the group with Robbie Williams. His appointment was welcomed by Take That's Gary Barlow.
"Me and the guys are thrilled that Kim has been asked to create the closing ceremony, we know with him in charge it's going to be one great celebration for the whole country," said Barlow. "We're very proud of our live shows and Kim has always been at the very heart of their creation. We wish him all the success in the world and before you ask, no, he hasn't asked us to be in the show ? yet!"
But Gavin used his first interview to criticise ceremonies of previous years. While Beijing's show in 2008 was stylistically "amazing", Gavin said it left audiences cold, adding: "I can't remember a single tune".
The Olympic closing ceremony was the second most popular sporting event of 2008, attracting 252 million viewers across the world but Gavin said the show failed to grip those watching it live in the stadium.
"They had mass numbers of people doing the same thing and stylistically, it was faultless. But if you looked at the audience in the stadium, they were not engrossed," he said. "They were distracted with things like feeding their kids ice-cream. My objective is to make sure that doesn't happen in London: I want to engage my audience."
Gavin said the 2004 ceremony in Athens was "too traditional" and "difficult to relate to". "It was beautiful and executed fabulously but it was very local and traditional," he said. "It didn't strike a chord with me."
Sydney's 2000 event was one of the few ceremonies to garner praise but of Atlanta in 1996, he said: "I would not have said it was a great opening. I watched it, asking myself, 'Am I stylistically gripped, inspired by this show?' I had to admit that I was not."
Gavin, a trained ballet dancer who has choreographed and directed many Brit Award performances, the Concert for Diana and the Help the Hero's Concert, said he wanted the 2012 closing ceremonies to be "about celebrating where we are culturally in the UK. I want a typically British closing ceremony".
But, he added, although he will "look locally for talent", he will "also bring in performers and inspiration from outside of the UK if necessary".
"Britain has an amazing array of talent but (if) I find that I have a vision that requires something different, I will look abroad," he said. "I don't have any rules."
Gavin's comments were received calmly by the International Olympic Committee. Mark Adams, the director of communications for the IOC, said: "It would be highly unusual if a creative director didn't have very strong views on what they wanted to do, and on how it would vary from the work of others.
"Each Games organiser must produce a ceremony that works for them and the audiences they want to reach out to. We have absolute confidence that London 2012 will put on quite a show."
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic Games and Paralympic Games (Locog) said international stage and costume designer Es Devlin would be the designer.
Devlin recently worked with Lady Gaga on her 'Monsters Ball' US tour. She has also worked with artists including Muse, Kanye West, Mika and the Pet Shop Boys ? as well as in opera and drama on shows for Glyndebourne, the Royal Opera House, English National Opera, the Royal Shakespeare Company, the Royal Court Theatre, the Young Vic and the Old Vic.
The film composer and record producer David Arnold was announced as the music director. Arnold is the man behind soundtracks to five James Bond films, Independence Day, Stargate, Chronicles of Narnia, Made in Dagenham, and the newly released Simon Pegg/Nick Frost movie 'Paul', as well as records by Dame Shirley Bassey, George Michael, KD Lang, Iggy Pop, Bjork and the Kaiser Chiefs.
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