A scene from Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo, taken at the Adelaide Fringe 15 February 2014
Presented by Erth Visual and Physical Inc
Reviewed 15 February 2014
Promoting Australia’s prehistoric natural history is something Erth does well. Working closely with museums, this innovative company has created a live action puppetry show allowing children to get up close and personal with dinosaurs, from hand-held infants to soaring giants.
The Sydney-based company has been around for more than two decades, actively promoting Australian history and culture both locally and overseas. In Erth’s Dinosaur Zoo, palaeontologist Scott brings to the stage a number of Australia’s prehistoric insects and dinosaurs, aided by three expert puppeteers.
Presented in a similar style to live animal shows found at any zoo or wildlife park, Scott willingly shares a lot of information about each creature. The show is aimed at an audience aged 5 or over and we are told the show is based in scientific fact, but often those facts are well above the level of understanding for the target audience. They are, however, well within reach of older kids and parents. In that respect, this informative, fun event caters to many levels.
Selected young audience members are invited to the stage to pat, feed, hypnotise or placate the mammoth animals and there’s more than a few screams from the front row as some of the larger beasts get out of hand. The depth of fact-sharing and the audience participation keeps the show trolling along at a relatively slow pace however the excitement of meeting dinosaurs and the stunning puppets keep the young’uns thoroughly engrossed.
Sitting back or up close, the detailed puppets and the subtlety of the skilled puppeteers make it easy to believe history is repeating itself.
Reviewed by Rod Lewis
Venue: Little Big Top, Garden of Unearthly Delights, Rundle Park, Adelaide
Season: 15 February – 2 March 2014
Duration: 50 mins
Tickets: $20.00-$25.00
Bookings: Book through FringeTix online or phone 1300 621 255
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