Walking With Dinosaurs: The Live Experience
Entertainment Centre
Tues 6 March
Season Closed

"It's a kingdom ruled by hatchlings!" booms palaeontologist narrator Huxley introducing the age of the dinosaurs, crouched over a nest of eggs as two new dinosaurs emerge. Seconds later a Liliensternus - upright walking, five metres in length - appears and eats the first. Before it can get the second its mother arrives; the first of the large dinosaurs, a Plateosaurus, to defend its nest. And like Liliensternus, we've had just a taste of what's to come.

'Walking With Dinosaurs: The Live Experience' was always going to be a tricky affair to bring to life, but the producers behind the show have done an immensely impressive job. The set is simple but effective, with air-filled vegetation adding colour and context when required, leaving plenty of room for the prehistoric stars to roam and shine.

Sonny Tilders and his team have exceeded expectation in both creating the dinosaurs and making them utterly believable. The Jurassic confrontation between a Stegosaurus and Allosaurus demonstrates the depth of dinosaurian design involved. As both creatures stand battling for breath between attacks they genuinely look alive; bodies rising and falling as they pant.

Despite the large dinosaurs being driven on unobtrusive frames and the mobile creatures being visibly costumed actors, the illusion holds up superbly. The juvenile and adult Brachiosaurs prove a hit as they wander the arena getting up close and personal with the front rows, and the three Utahraptors are as menacing as they must have actually been; one showing brains could overcome brawn, even back then.

It all climaxes with a Torosaurus and Anklyosaurus getting between a mother Tyrannosaurus Rex and her baby. Lots of noise and threatening postures ensue as three very believable, very big dinosaurs face off and narrator Huxley does his best to stay out of the way.

There are some adjustments to be made - the script needs more balance as the second half is loaded with punchlines absent from the first - but in combining accessible science with entertainment and playing unashamedly to families, 'Walking With Dinosaurs: The Live Experience' is a success on every level, primarily due to the level of realism of the beasts themselves. However you choose to look at it, there's no doubt we saw intelligent design on display tonight.

Wade Howland