Review: DINOSAUR WORLD LIVE, Troubadour Wembley Park Theatre

At first glance, Dinosaur World Live may appear to be a traditional theatrical adventure, but audiences should adjust their expectations before entering this prehistoric expedition. Rather than a narrative driven stage production, Derek Bond’s Olivier Award winning family show is described as an "interactive children’s theatre show that brings dinosaurs to life on stage" and best understood as an engaging show-and-tell presentation, blending education, demonstration and audience participation, with some of the most accomplished large scale puppetry currently touring the UK.

Miranda played warmly by Lizzie Burder leads the experience as the island’s enthusiastic dinosaur guide, explaining that her palaeontologist parents were shipwrecked on a remote island where they spent twenty five years living alongside dinosaurs. With an enormous egg ready to hatch and strict safety rules firmly established, the audience is quickly invited into a world where extinct creatures appear astonishingly real.

The first encounter introduces Juliet, an endearingly stubborn Segnosaurus, or 'slow' lizard, whose appetite for leaves requires assistance from a young volunteer pretending to sweetly be a tree. It immediately establishes the production’s interactive approach, which continues throughout the performance as children are regularly invited to help feed, groom and encourage the prehistoric residents.

The true stars of the production are unquestionably the puppets. Intricately crafted and breathtaking in both scale and detail, each dinosaur displays remarkable personality through the extraordinary work of the highly skilled puppeteers.Nat Speight, William Chaplin Stephens, Sebastian Chambers, Georgia Wall and Alice Bravery each excel in bringing the mesmerising large scale puppets to life, each distinguishing their characteristics. Three performers operate many of the larger creatures at once with exceptional precision, creating movements which feel fluid, expressive and convincingly lifelike.

Orlando the Microraptor delights with a demonstration of his four wings, while another audience member is invited to gently brush his feathers. Sleepy baby Beatrice the Triceratops proves equally charming, responding to applause, stamping feet and plenty of affectionate encouragement as Miranda explains fascinating facts about the species, like their weight of up to 12 tons when fully grown.

As the enormous egg edges closer to hatching, anticipation steadily builds before audiences are introduced to Tamora, an inquisitive young Tyrannosaurus Rex whose playful ball game hints at the much greater danger posed by her infamous older brother,Titus. Later, we also meet an imposing mother dinosaur Gertrude, a Giraffatitan described as the largest dinosaur on the island, with Miranda noting that the Argentinosaurus remains the largest dinosaur currently known to science.

One particularly enjoyable touch is the naming of several dinosaurs after Shakespearean characters including Juliet, Orlando, Tamora, Titus, Beatrice, Brutus and Gertrude, which adds an unexpected layer of charm for adults accompanying younger audiences.

Miranda and the talented puppeteers commit wholeheartedly to maintaining the illusion throughout. Their enthusiasm never wavers, encouraging children to believe completely in every encounter while seamlessly weaving together accessible scientific facts, with moments of excitement and humour.

However, audiences expecting a conventional theatrical production complete with character development and an unfolding storyline may leave slightly surprised. There is very little narrative progression. Instead, the production functions primarily as an educational dinosaur demonstration, showcasing one impressive creature after another, while explaining how each might have behaved if humans had lived alongside them. The result feels closer to an interactive museum presentation, brought vividly to life than a traditional theatre show.

That distinction is by no means a criticism. Younger dinosaur enthusiasts will be captivated by the opportunity to observe these magnificent creatures up close, while the exceptional craftsmanship of the puppets consistently inspires genuine awe. Dinosaur World Live delivers an immersive family experience which celebrates imagination, learning and world class puppetry.

For families with budding palaeontologists, this is a thoroughly entertaining spectacle whose greatest triumph lies not in dramatic narrative, but in making dinosaurs feel wonderfully alive.

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