Coming soon to the O2, Planet Earth the musical
BBC nature series Planet Earth is being turned into a music spectacular, with live shows at the O2 arena.
An 84-piece orchestra will accompany high-definition footage on a huge screen in two performances in July.
Planet Earth Live was tested in the US this year with a five-week run visiting major cities and culminated in two sellout performances at the Hollywood Bowl in Los Angeles.
Award-winning composer George Fenton, who wrote the score for the TV series, will conduct the BBC Concert Orchestra and mezzo-soprano Haley Glennie-Smith.
Mr Fenton said: "Planet Earth Live is a visual and musical spectacular which is designed to create the same unforgettable experience Planet Earth did when it was broadcast."
The TV show, first aired in 2006, took five years to make and cost £16 million. It is the most expensive nature documentary series ever commissioned by the BBC. A total of 71 film crews worked on the programmes, which were broadcast in 130 countries.
The original version was narrated by David Attenborough, with Sigourney Weaver's voice replacing his for some overseas versions. With footage from all over the globe, it captured scenes never before seen on television. They included a snow leopard hunting in Pakistan, the highest-ever aerial footage of Mount Everest, and a close-up of a piranha feeding frenzy.
The two July 30 shows, to be presented by BBC Worldwide, are aimed at a family audience. Planet Earth series producer Alastair Fothergill said: "This magnificent event allows audiences to enjoy George Fenton's amazing score against incredible HD footage."
