The books are now open to find the adults who will entertain the world at next summer’s Olympic Games ceremonies.

Dancers, actors, percussionists and all-round performers are invited to apply for these once-in-a-lifetime shows.

Artistic directors Danny Boyle and Kim Gavin will recruit around 10,000 volunteers to fill roles in the spectacular opening and closing events, who will perform in front of a packed Olympic Stadium and a worldwide broadcast audience of more than one billion people.

Applicants will attend at least two auditions, evenings and weekends in November and early

Then it will by up to two or three rehearsal sessions each week of up to four hours per session from next March, and some all-day rehearsals in the three weeks leading up to each ceremony. All rehearsals are in east London.

Bill Morris, director of Games ceremonies for the London 2012 organisers, said significant commitment is needed to do deliver ceremonies of the scale envisaged.

The applicants need lots of enthusiasm, personality, a positive attitude, huge amounts of energy and a willingness to perform in front of a huge stadium audience.

To be eligible applicants must be aged 18 or older on March 1 2012.

If more than 15,000 applications are received, a computerised draw will be used to randomly create the shortlist for auditions.

* For information and to register interest applicants should visit www.london2012.com/ceremoniescasting. The deadline is August 31 and it is not a first come first served process.