"You will see a lot of Glaswegians and Scots, and a lot of people from further afield, and you will also hear them," continued Zolkwer, who choreographed the 2010 World Cup Opening and Closing Ceremonies in South Africa, among other notable events. "We have a mass cast but we have set out to represent lots and lots of individuals. There is relatively little in the show that is about mass synchronicity.

"It's not about homogenising the city or asking them to pretend to be anything other than who they are. Given Glasgow is such a generous, hospitable, warm city, it seemed natural to think about how we behave as a host.

"The ceremony is about all of us – being interested in the people we are inviting into our house and hearing their stories, and looking more at what we have in common than what differentiates us.

"It's got humour, warmth, celebrating what we have in common. Having said all that, it will always feel like it was created in Glasgow. So, although we are telling a universal story, we are telling it with a distinctly Glaswegian accent, which means we are going to be irreverent, funny, principled, sincere, inclusive, personal, direct. We are talking down the lens, we are not asking the world to watch a show."

However, not everything has gone smoothly. For instance, organisers were forced to shelve plans to screen the demolition of five of the tower blocks in the Red Road Flats complex – a long-standing totem to overcrowded slum housing – in north Glasgow. More than 70,000 people signed an online petition stating the proposal was insensitive to former residents and the asylum seekers who still occupied the sixth block.

There are other sparkles of progression, though, as a partnership with children's charity Unicef will see several Scottish doctors who recently visited Malawi launch an appeal at the Opening Ceremony to the vast television audience.

^{Flying the flag: Euan Burton will lead out Scotland at Celtic Park (PA)}

Euan Burton, a 35-year-old judoka (ironically born in Ascot, Berkshire), will be leading out Scotland in the Opening Ceremony, having been presented with the all-important flag by Sir Chris Hoy, Scotland's greatest Olympian, earlier in the week. The multiple world and European medal-winning judo star was selected for the role by his fellow competitors and said he was "enormously proud".

"It's a huge honour and an absolute privilege to be able to lead your team out on to the field of play at any event, but for a home Commonwealth Games it's even more so," Burton said. "I think it will be one of the most special days of my life. It's really just very humbling for me to be put forward and selected."

England's reception at the Opening Ceremony might be tinged with hostility, with the question of Scottish independence looming. TheEnglish competitors have been briefed about what to do if they suffer abuse, though hockey player Ashley Jackson is taking a more light-hearted approach.

"It could be pretty cool walking out in front of how many thousands at the opening ceremony booing us," he joked. "If you can't be the hero you might as well be the villain.

"We don't know what to expect. I think it would be better to walk out in front of how every many booing Scots than a silent crowd."

Whatever happens, the Opening Ceremony should make for entertaining viewing, and set the scene for a superb 11 days of competition.