How intriguing that Danny Boyle, the director in charge of the London 2012 Opening Ceremony, should have chosen as his leitmotif The Tempest – William Shakespeare's jolly tale of drunkenness, power-mongering and multiple conspiracy to murder. But hey! Nobody dies! So it's a romance.

Boyle's chosen theme for tonight's opening act – costing £27 million ($42 million/€34 million) and lasting four hours – of what everyone hopes will be a Games which earns rave reviews, is The Isle of Wonder.

This takes its inspiration from the words of comfort offered by Caliban, the rude and usurped native inhabitant of the island, to the party of rich, worldly and influential visitors who have washed up on its shores – thanks to that old Tempest.

Caliban, act three, scene two:

"Be not afeard. The isle is full of noises,

"Sounds, and sweet airs, that give delight, and hurt not."

How Boyle thinks all this parallels the Olympic experience one can only guess, although he has offered us some clues.

"It is about the wondrous beauty of Caliban's island and his deep, deep devotion to it," he said when the outline of the Opening Ceremony was revealed six months ago. "We'll be celebrating the whole of the country. There are so many isles of wonder."

Danny Boyle and volunteers unveil the design of the Opening Ceremony last month

Stephen Daldry, the director of Billy Elliott, who is overseeing artistic vision at all four Olympic and Paralympic ceremonies, said the theme of the Tempest would run through both the Opening and Closing Ceremonies: "It is a journey that will celebrate who we are, who we were and indeed who we wish to be."

So what is The Tempest? (Well yes, a famous play by William Shakespeare, Britain's multiple gold medallist in the drama event.) OK. Let's ask another question. What is the capital of Malaysia? (Kuala Lumpur). Good. But let's ask another question that's relevant.

Here it comes. What is it that goes on in The Tempest which has persuaded the famous director of films such as Trainspotting (a story of geeks and their life of quiet and painstaking data entry at Edinburgh's Waverley station, as I recall) and Slumdog Millionaire (the story of a dog that gets very rich, I think) to use it as such an important part of one of the most important things he has ever done?

I'm glad we got that question out of the way, thus clearing ourselves for a – brief, don't worry, brief, whistle-stop even – resume of The Tempest.

So, this involuntary landing party includes Baddies and Goodies. First category: Alonso, King of Naples, his brother Sebastian, and Antonio – who is brother to the all-powerful Prospero, ruler of the island, magician and all-round opportunist. A kind of supercharged Boris Johnson.

Just be clear, Antonio is a Baddy because, as we learn in act one, scene two – yes, we've already got that far – he has taken over Prospero's previous job as Duke of Milan and had him banished to the Isle of Wonder.

King Alosno in the 2010 version of The Tempest, directed by Julie Taymor

King Alonso is a Baddy because he is in on it all. And his brother Sebastian is a Baddy because he uses language like this: "A pox o' your throat, you bawling, blasphemous, incharitable dog!"

And the Goodies? Yummy, yummy yum yum. They are Gonzalo, an all-round good egg, and Alonso's son Ferdinand, who is to fall in love with, and marry, Prospero's daughter Miranda, with the father's magical collusion, thus securing the island's overlord a nifty Royal 'In'.  You see, this play is all about power and only Daddy Prospero has a finger on the switches. The Tempest was whipped up by him to set the whole shebang in motion.

In the 1979 Derek Jarman-directed film of The Tempest, Miranda was played by the lovely Toyah Willcox, who at one point took her top off. Just thought I'd put that bit in.

"Full fathom five thy father lies;

"Of his bones are coral made;

"Those are pearls that were his eyes

"Nothing of him that doth fade,

"But doth suffer a sea change

"Into something rich and strange."

This is a gorgeous passage of poetry spoken by Ariel, one of the Prospero crew. Just thought I'd put that in too.

Contemporary scholars now believe that in these words uttered in act one, scene 2, Ariel gives voice to Shakespeare's early vision of Olympic Legacy.

But back to the narrative...

Caliban, played by Todd Scofield, in Folger Theatre's production of Shakespeare's The Tempest in 2007

While Caliban has fallen out with Prospero, after showing him every detail of the island he so loves, the overlord has another helper in the form of Ariel – actually we've just met him – a nifty sprite who gets Ferdinand – whom Prospero makes sure is temporarily alone, and available, following his shipwreck – to meet Miranda.

Act two – hang in there – sees the all-round bad egg, Antonio, encouraging Sebastian to kill the king and take over as ruler. (Is there supposed to be a modern Sebastian parallel here?)

Meanwhile two other shipwrecked characters, Trinculo and Stephano, meet up with the embittered Caliban and get him drunk before hatching a plot to kill the king of the island, Prospero. And to take over as rulers.

Act three – Prospero, invisible, watches his daughter and Ferdinand pledging their troth to each other. Nice. The comic trio of Trinculo, Stephano and Caliban have some comic capers. Ariel leads them astray, before returning to give Alonso, Antonio and Sebastian, the real Bad Lads, a verbal pummelling. Message – don't mess with magicians.

Act four – an imaginary banquet, more chat. Not much happening here. Please move on.

Act five – Like Poirot before the denouement, Prospero brings the suspects together and gives them what for. What for? So he can then forgive them – but not before making sure he will return to Milan. Hear that everyone? Prospero is Back. And his daughter's a Royal! Sorry now?

Caliban is freed. So is Ariel. Prospero prepares to resume the 9-5 as a Duke and renounces his powers. The magic is over.  "Our revels now are ended," says Prospero in a statement. "The great globe itself...shall dissolve...like this insubstantial pageant."

Yes, the games are over. Exeunt omnes.

Mike Rowbottom, one of Britain's most talented sportswriters, has covered the past five Summer and four Winter Olympics for The Independent. Previously he has worked for the Daily Mail, The Times, The Observer, the Sunday Correspondent and The Guardian. He is now chief feature writer for insidethegames.