Audiences will be able to watch Kingston’s Olympic hopefuls on a big screen showcasing live highlights from the London 2012 Games.

The Rose Theatre will open its auditorium for free to hundreds of people for 10 days, with live events being shown on a giant 8m x 4m screen.

The screen will be set up in time for the opening ceremony on July 27 when the last torchbearer in a line of 8,000 will light the Olympic cauldron in front of thousands of people at the Olympic stadium.

The Rose will also offer special deals on food and drink throughout the sporting period and a large plasma screen will be put up in the cafe until the end of the games on August 12.

Olympic hopeful and Surbiton team hockey player James Tindall has been training hard in the lead up to the London 2012 Games but none of his friends will be there to watch him play.

He said: “It is unfortunate a lot of people did not get tickets in the ballot. I am lucky that my family will be given tickets – but none of my friends will be.

“I’m sure once they know about the big screen at the Rose they will all want to go along – I think a people who train in Surbiton will too.

“It’s a great idea and there will be an atmosphere of community spirit I’m sure.”

The Rose’s new chief executive Robert O’Dowd said: “We are really pleased Kingstonians are going to be able to cheer on some of our local sporting heroes on our stage for the first time.

“With so many brilliant members of team GB having trained or lived in the borough, it is important for us that their friends and neighbours can watch the games for free in our great auditorium.”