Review: Lightwire Theater's DINO-LIGHT at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe

Lightwire Theater’s DINO-LIGHT is a one-hour playful and educational experience for the whole family. Five performers are invisible against the blackness of the auditorium. Their costumes are fashioned from various household items, like skateboards, knee pads, and dryer duct hoses, and then strung with battery powered electroluminescent wire to create neon lines that form the shapes of the various characters. The cast embody multiple roles to tell the story of Darwin the Dinosaur, who accidentally wanders from its home with the professor and meets other creatures, both large and small, who teach the young dinosaur what it means to love. Although the show has a couple of moments that might be scary for little ones, aside from some audible (and adorable) “oh no’s”, most kids in the audience were unperturbed, largely due to the rapid switching between scenes so that a dramatic scene was quickly replaced with a more upbeat one. For example, a scene demonstrating nature’s food chain quickly morphed into a colourful dance sequence highlighting the circle of life.

The show is an interesting combination of puppetry, theatre, and dance. It is fascinating to watch the characters come alive on stage and swim, fly, and glide across the stage as if you are looking at creatures who come from another time and place. It is easy to see why Lightwire Theater won the prestigious Jim Henson Foundation Grant. The selected music comes from a range of genres, from opera, to folk, rock and pop. The music enhances the story, but the lyrical connections are intended more for the adults in the audience. The show has some laugh out loud moments and a lot of wow-factor. After their bows, the cast introduced themselves, explained technical aspects of the costumes and encouraged the audience to be creative and try new things, which was a truly lovely way to end the show.

DINO-LIGHT was presented by the City of Ottawa at Meridian Theatres @ Centrepointe on April 11, 2026 and included a pre-show children's craft session in conjunction with the Ottawa Pubic Library. Click here to see what other events are coming to the city.

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