Talented performers: Hackney Community College students (back row L to R) Adilson Santos, Chloe Rooney, Gracie Marshall, Katie Hill, Kim Allen, Bria White, Leah Walker-Murrain, (front row L to R) Michael Warrick-Gooding, Precious Omonuwa and staff member Adele Smith

Talented Hackney students will give the performance of their lives in front of 3.5billion people this summer.

Nine performing arts pupils and two staff from Hackney Community College (HCC) triumphed in their auditions to be a part of the Olympic Opening Ceremony.

Although sworn to secrecy about what they will be doing, rehearsals have been intensive so far.

Kim Allen, Katie Hill, Gracie Marshall, Precious Omonuwa, Chloe Rooney, Adilson Santos, Leah Walker-Murrain, Michael Warrick-Gooding, and Bria White will perform alongside Performing Arts and Sport lecturer Adele Smith and Faculty Administrator Ndenko Asong.

Performing arts student Leah Walker-Murrain, 18, said: “It’s such an amazing thing to be part of something so big and so important, especially as it’s only going to happen once in my life.

She said the ceremony “looks brilliant. It’s going to be so exciting.”

Oscar-winning film-maker Danny Boyle is the artistic director of the Opening Ceremony. He announced it will be called Isles of Wonder and said: “It will take its place in the list of openings but it will be a new beginning as well.”

He added: “It will provide a thrilling, enthralling, captivating evening; something that grows out of the site, the stadium.

“We hope it will be an evening that reflects both scale and intimacy.”

The HCC performers worked with the Slumdog Millionaire director at their first rehearsal.

Mr Asong said: “I can’t tell you how much it means to work with Danny Boyle. To be with an award winning director is something to cherish. Danny was very friendly and very encouraging. He made us feel at ease and it was great fun.”

Head of Sport at HCC, Paul Lazarus, said: “We are very proud of their tremendous achievement and look forward to seeing them perform in the ceremonies.

“The group has made an indelible mark with the organisers of the ceremony.”