Review: DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE at Children's Theatre Company

Have you have every wondered what would happen if you combined ferocious prehistoric creatures, a zany dinosaur trainer, and an audience full of rambunctious dinosaur enthusiasts? Most likely the outcome would be the highly entertaining Dinosaur World Live now inhabiting the Children’s Theatre Company’s main stage.

Seemingly set in a fictional world, the audience is invited to attend an introduction, reminiscent of a bird show at the zoo, to a variety of prehistoric dinosaurs that once were thought to have gone extinct but have secretly taken up residence on a remote island off the coast of Argentina.

What follows is a demonstration that is comical, yet extremely informative as each of the unique and sometimes ginormous dinos are brought to life through a mix of ingeniously designed puppets and a touch of theater magic.

There is a variety of creatures showcased but the designers have ensured that each dino is given their time in the spotlight, giving the audience time to take in and appreciate each beautifully designed puppet.

A key ingredient of the piece lies within the puppeteers’ movement and choreography of the puppet that they are attached to. They are allowed the creativity and freedom to put their own spin on how the dinosaur acts and behaves, making them seem like a living breathing animal, rather than just a stoic and sedentary museum exhibit on display. The unique personality and characteristic each dino is given transforms them into characters of their own in a show dominated by a single human character.

Throughout the piece, the only human and our guide Miranda, played to hilarious acclaim by Lizzie Burder, invites a variety of youngsters to come onto the stage and interact with the dinosaurs in a series of interactions designed to delight and more fully immerse the audience members lucky enough to be chosen. These segments were a particular highlight throughout, as it delivered some of the more comical moments within the show.

It is clear from the beginning that we are in for a good time due to the amount of exuberance Burder brings to the role of Miranda, which is deeply infectious. We are brought into her world and allowed to share her love and fascination with dinosaurs, due to the enormous amount of audience participation, and in turn get to express our childlike wonder with those around us without judgement.