Tony Winner Mark Rylance to Perform at 2012 Olympics Opening Ceremony

Two-time Tony winner Mark Rylance will appear in the upcoming opening ceremonies of the 2012 London Olympics, according to the Telegraph. Rylance will read a speech from Shakespeare’s The Tempest, which serves as the title of the ceremony: The Isles of Wonder.

Oscar-winning director Danny Boyle (Slumdog Millionaire) serves as creative director for the ceremony, which will take place on July 27. In addition to Rylance's appearance, Queen Elizabeth II and the Duke of Edinburgh will open the games, and a short film starring Daniel Craig as James Bond will be screened during the ceremony’s TV coverage.

Rylance served as the first artistic director of Shakespeare’s Globe in London from 1996 to 2006. He won Tony Awards for Jerusalem and Boeing-Boeing, and has also appeared on Broadway in La Bête. Rylance won Olivier Awards for Much Ado About Nothing and Jerusalem in London.