IT’S THE land of the dinosaurs – bet you never expected that in Camberley.
A new show is to be performed at our neighbouring theatre, promising a spectacle that will delight children of all ages.
Dinosaur Adventure Live: Trouble On Volcano Island is an epic quest that has been 65 million years in the making and sees the audience join in with the brave Rangers on stage to take part in a rescue mission.
The island’s ancient volcano suddenly becomes active, meaning those on a tour of the prehistoric paradise are in danger. And so are the native dinosaurs. Can youngsters help save the day?
The fully immersive show has been devised by Mike Newman Jnr, who has an incredible pedigree in children’s theatre: he’s worked with Sooty and Rainbow’s Zippy and George, as well as helping Count Duckula make his stage debut.
This new show, a sequel to last year’s Dinosaur Adventure Live, aims to move the action on and ensure children have a brilliant time.
“Children are really involved, we keep them in the action, they help the cast solve the next thing,” he says. “They must be involved every 30 seconds, even if it is something as simple as asking them which way the cast needs to go next.
“They are always engaged.”
The show, which is aimed at ages four to 10, has been road-tested by his harshest critic: his nine-year-old son, who Mike says was very happy with it.
“I’ve been creating kids shows since 2005, working with Sooty, and gained so much experience. When I was working with Zippy and George from Rainbow, I knew the story was not about me, they had to be the stars, but we had to really work hard as they can’t run around the stage like I can.”
A show with dinosaurs in its title means that Mike and his castmates will always play second fiddle to the real stars of the show, including a Triceratops, a Spinosaurus and, of course, a T-Rex.
He ensures they are well fed and watered between shows, and there are meet-and-greet opportunities for those brave enough.
“The audience sees a T-Rex on stage within the first 30 seconds,” Mike says. “The star of the show comes out with a huge roar, lots of smoke and stomping.
“He spots a dad in the front row and he’s ready to chomp down. The kids love it … maybe not so much the dad,” he chuckles. “He’s getting closer and closer and closer, and the dad is trying to shift back in their seat.”
With that, the show is up, up, and away and the quest to save Volcano Island is on.
His philosophy is on creating an immersive experience for that he takes inspiration from another famous children’s character: Mickey Mouse. Well, not Mickey exactly, but Disneyland.
“When you go on their rides, you enter the world of, say, Toy Story, and engage with it. I really like the idea of that and incorporate it into the show,” he says.
“It’s almost like the audience has come to the theatre by boat from the mainland, so they can view the dinosaurs. We take over the theatre and create an adventure.
“Our dinosaurs look wonderful, they sound wonderful,” he promises. “Some dinosaur outfits have a built-in speaker, but that will never give off a loud enough roar. I wanted to get the best sounds I could, and this really is.”
Being an all-new show for 2024, how have audiences taken to it?
“The reaction to it has been excellent, really lovely,” he says of the happy audiences.
Why should people come and see the show?
“Because it is going to be the best theatre experience your child can have,” Mike promises. “If you love dinosaurs, you’ll love this show.”
Sounds roarsome.
Ticket prices have been kept as low as possible, with theatres charging between £14 and £16.50 for seats.
“Being a very accessible show is a key thing for us,” Mike says. “We want people to see the show and in these economic times we want to deliver a great family show, with a ticket price that works for most.”
Dinosaur Adventure Live! Trouble on Volcano Island is at Camberley Theatre on Monday, April 8, at 2.30pm and 4.30pm. Tickets cost £14.50 for theatre club members or £16.50. For more details, log on to: www.camberleytheatre.co.uk or call the box office on: 01276 707600.
