A masterclass in audience interaction all about dinosaurs, played out through poetry, rap and live music.Summary
Rating
Excellent
The Great Big Dinosaur Show is a fast-moving, hugely entertaining, witty and cleverly crafted interactive show for families (5+). Using poems, raps and songs, the instantly likeable poet and performer Simon Mole and his quirky mischievous sidekick Gecko (a singer-songwriter and YouTube star who plays acoustic guitar throughout) give audiences a perfect introduction to the world of dinosaurs.
We learn about their evolution across the Triassic, Jurassic and Cretaceous periods (252 – 66 million years ago), their demise at the hands of a seven-mile-wide asteroid, and the importance of fossils in palaeontologists’ ongoing discoveries about these much-maligned former world-dominators. Like so much of this piece, facts and figures are played out with genius timing, as well as musical and verbal dexterity. The upbeat and hilarious fossil song ‘Dino Digging’ is a great example – one of several songs in the show we can all join in with. In another, ‘The Herd Song’, we are likened to the dinosaurs from millions of years ago, reinforcing the message that we’re all in this together – a lovely sentiment of belonging and community.
Inspired by A First Book of Dinosaurs, illustrated by Matt Hunt and written by Mole, we meet our two protagonists with Mole in full blow-up purple dinosaur costume and Gecko wearing a feathered Therizinosaurus hat. This madcap introduction perfectly sets the tone for the next 60 minutes. How do you get out of a blow-up costume? Easy. Accompanied by the mimicking tones of a game show theme, we’re encouraged to count down from ten to beat the world record – which, of course, is achieved. Who could have doubted that?!
The highlight of the piece is the crafted interaction with the audience. Under the nuanced direction of Peader Kirk, ideas are drawn from the crowd without filter yet are still managed in a way that keeps the piece moving forward. At one point, Mole creates a completely improvised poem inspired by a brand-new dinosaur – ‘Macy-Car-Saurus’ – as drawn by a six-year-old using a marker pen and flip chart, while Gecko provides a hilarious musical accompaniment. The resulting poem draws cheers and applause.
I think if, like many in the audience I saw the show with, you’re already a bit of a dinosaur fan, this show flies, and that knowledge feeds wonderfully into the interactive narrative. For those with less background, help is at hand via projected illustrations and text that spell out various dinosaur names, plus a song or two. For example, Pachycephalosaurus, who butts heads with sponge-like skull armour: “Biff-a-bash, biff-a-bash, bang-a-lang-a-bop”, we all chorus. I learned that birds are direct descendants of dinosaurs; the ‘chicken song’ is a brilliant parody of banality, reminding us that even the greatest and mightiest creatures ever to walk the earth were not invincible: a chilling message for us humans in this age of climate change.
The show may seem slightly pop-up and improvised, but it isn’t. It’s simply very carefully crafted and creative and an excellent example of child-centred family fun for all.
Inspired by, and including poems from, A First Book of Dinosaurs by Simon Mole, illustrated by Matt Hunt
Created by Simon Mole, Gecko & Peader Kirk
Performed by Simon Mole & Gecko
Direction Peader Kirk
Score & Composition Gecko
Lighting Design Martha Godfrey & Andrew Crofts
Tree Costume Design Andie Scott
Supported by Norden Farm, artsdepot, Stanley Arts, Herts Libraries & Oxford University Museum of Natural History
The Great Big Dinosaur Show is now on tour. Check the company website for further dates.
