The first rehearsals for a show starring a cast of 500 members were held last weekend.

BABEL, organised by Battersea Arts Centre, will see hundreds of professional and community performers stage the show at an as yet undisclosed major London landmark.

Producers held choir workshops at the Lavender Hill venue on Sunday, giving Wandsworth choirs the chance to perform in the production.

Claire Ingleheart, musical director, co-ordinated the groups and began working on songs for the show.

Members of the choirs met with professional singers taking part in the show and performed their favourite songs to the other groups.

Wildworks, who staged The Passion in Port Talbot with Michael Sheen, hope the performance will bring together different communities in the Olympic year.

David Micklem, joint artistic director said: "BAC's mission is to invent the future of theatre. We think WildWorks is one of the most exciting theatre companies committed to the same ambition and we are delighted to be co-producing BABEL with them."

The show depicts the story of a gathering of tribes and will run from 8 to 20 May.