Anyone looking for a casual stroll with an allosaurus will be pleasantly surprised by Walking With Dinosaurs � The Arena Spectacular.

Walking With Dinosaurs,
SECC, Glasgow
David Kirkpatrick
****

Anyone looking for a casual stroll with an allosaurus will be pleasantly surprised by Walking With Dinosaurs - The Arena Spectacular.

Fifteen dinosaurs ranging over a 200 million year period, from the Triassic to the Cretaceous eras, come crashing into life with awe-inspiring realism. The tallest of the dinosaur creations, the brachiosaurus, at 36 feet tall and 56 feet long, is a testament to the imagination and creative skill that has gone into this production.

Photographs and videos cannot capture the detail that is stunningly portrayed as the dinosaurs stomp, skulk and plod on to the stage.

The evening's narrator, Huxley, slightly detracts from the historic voyeurism of the spectacle with his sometimes clumsy jokes, but he provides the history and facts that will keep older children and adults tuned in. His interjections give the action meaning and the story a purpose.

More cynical viewers may notice the strings or the whirr of a motor, but this can be forgiven in light of the agility and dexterity the monsters exhibit. Facial expressions are exact and full of emotion, giving a heart and depth to the lovable giants.

The dinosaurs, sometimes clumsy, sometimes swift, are always captivating and will especially enchant younger members of the audience.

The detail, from blinking eyes to swishing tails, makes up for any chink in the dino's armour, and when reaching out into the audience you will be forgiven for forgetting they are made of rubber.

The musical score by James Brett adds drama and sentiment while special effects including sprouting flowers and hatching eggs are simple but captivating. Unfortunately, battle scenes, like the landscape, remain fruitless, but nimble movement and choreographed chases keep you in the jaws of the story.

A flying ornithocheirus in the second act, aided by a projected background, gives a believable sense of flight while the tyrannosaurus rex daunt and inspire in a climactic finale. Walking With Dinosaurs is a roaring success that only a flaming comet could stop. Well worth a visit.