Walking with Dinosaurs: The Arena Spectacular
We went to see the stage show of the TV show this evening at the O2 in Greenwich.
I think Breda enjoyed it more than I did, but overall we had a good time. It does what it says on the tin - about 20 life-size puppets of 10 species of dinosaur, close enough to feel their breath on your face. (And yes, you can see steam coming out of some of their nostrils.)
It's aimed more at children than adults - the dinosaurs don't really fight, they just circle round one another and roar a lot (loud enough to shake your seat in some cases). Though seeing as the bigger puppets weigh about a tonne and a half, it's probably not a good idea to have them crashing into one another.
The show is narrated by Huxley, a paleontologist, who displays a masterful command of the facts and figures, and narrowly escapes being eaten or stepped on several times. He's also useful for a sense of scale - in a dark arena, with nothing else from modern life visible, it's easy to forget how huge some of these animals really were. For instance, the Tyrannosaurus rex, officially the star of the show, is the size of a double-decker bus. I say "officially" because there's a juvenile T. rex, merely human-sized, which steals those scenes. It's the only one of the puppets that comes back for a curtain call.
I'd recommend this show to any child who likes dinosaurs, though it may not be suitable for nervous or very young children, as there are some bright flashing lights and a lot of loud noises.
I think Breda enjoyed it more than I did, but overall we had a good time. It does what it says on the tin - about 20 life-size puppets of 10 species of dinosaur, close enough to feel their breath on your face. (And yes, you can see steam coming out of some of their nostrils.)
It's aimed more at children than adults - the dinosaurs don't really fight, they just circle round one another and roar a lot (loud enough to shake your seat in some cases). Though seeing as the bigger puppets weigh about a tonne and a half, it's probably not a good idea to have them crashing into one another.
The show is narrated by Huxley, a paleontologist, who displays a masterful command of the facts and figures, and narrowly escapes being eaten or stepped on several times. He's also useful for a sense of scale - in a dark arena, with nothing else from modern life visible, it's easy to forget how huge some of these animals really were. For instance, the Tyrannosaurus rex, officially the star of the show, is the size of a double-decker bus. I say "officially" because there's a juvenile T. rex, merely human-sized, which steals those scenes. It's the only one of the puppets that comes back for a curtain call.
I'd recommend this show to any child who likes dinosaurs, though it may not be suitable for nervous or very young children, as there are some bright flashing lights and a lot of loud noises.
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