Longhill Sports Centre, Falmer Road, Rottingdean, BN2 7FR – 14th and 15th March 2026
The travelling spectacle, Dinomania stomped into town, bringing with it a roaring combination of education, puppetry, comedy and larger than life dinosaurs that made children squeal with delight and adults grin like they’d just stepped into Jurassic Park.
From the moment the doors opened, it was clear that this wasn’t a passive theatre experience. The sports hall had been transformed into an arena style setup, with families seated on the floor near the centre and additional seating around the edges. It felt informal and relaxed. Once the countdown began, the children were ready, with many clutching their favourite dinosaur toy.
Then out came Ranger Chris, the energetic presenter and ringmaster of this prehistoric circus. He had clearly done this a lot before and knew exactly how to work a room full of excitable youngsters. Within minutes, he had the audience laughing, answering questions and shouting out dinosaur facts. Part of the charm of Ranger Chris was that he never talked down to the children. Instead he treated them like enthusiastic junior palaeontologists, encouraging them to join in with quizzes, guess the dinosaurs and help solve a few prehistoric problems along the way.
Of course, the real stars of the show were the dinosaurs and this was where Dinomania really wowed the audience. Rather than just appearing on stage, the towering creatures stomp into the space right next to the audience. The puppetry and costume work was genuinely impressive. These dinosaurs moved with surprising realism, with swaying tails, blinking eyes and jaws that snapped open wide enough to make you instinctively lean back. The children couldn’t have been more impressed.
Later came Ava the Utahraptor, who quickly proved herself to be the mischievous troublemaker of the pack. Her interactions with Ranger Chris provided some of the funniest moments in the show, especially when she decided to get a bit too close to the crowd. There was plenty of playful tension as she prowled around the floor area, giving children just enough of a scare to make them squeal but not enough to send anyone running for the exits.
Bramble the baby dinosaur was a clear favourite. Walking completely independently, this little dinosaur charged around the hall, letting every child touch and interact with them. Even the adults around me seemed completely charmed by this little creature. Other baby dinosaurs also got squeals of excitement from the crowd as they were taken around the hall by their trainer. It was a clever format that mixed storytelling with factual snippets about prehistoric life, so children were learning without quite realising it.
Another fun addition to the experience came in the form of several enormous inflatable prehistoric creatures at the front of the halll. These were impossible to miss. A towering woolly mammoth and a giant Sarcosuchus loomed high above the crowd, their heads rising so far that they almost brushed the sports hall ceiling. They added an extra layer of spectacle to the show and quickly became a magnet for families with cameras and phones at the ready.
Children queued up eagerly to stand beneath the enormous tusks of the mammoth or next to the crocodile-like grin of the Sarcosuchus, striking their best brave explorer poses while parents snapped away. It was a simple idea but a very effective one, giving everyone a chance to get up close with something prehistoric and absolutely enormous. Halfway through the 90 minute show there was a short interval for a comfort break or to shop at the merchandise stand which had a range of pin badges and colouring books.
The atmosphere throughout the afternoon was warm and enthusiastic. The Dinomania team clearly enjoyed what they did and that enthusiasm spread quickly through the crowd. You could see children leaning forward, wide eyed, as each new dinosaur appeared. The adults were just as entertained, partly because the show had enough humour and self awareness to keep everyone on board.
In terms of production values, it was impressive what they had managed to achieve within a sports hall setting. The sound effects helped build tension during the dinosaur entrances, while the open layout allowed the creatures to roam freely among the audience. That proximity was key to the experience. When a huge, long dinosaur walked past you, even the most sceptical grown up felt a little thrill.
If there was a slight quibble, it was that the show moved at such a fast pace that some of the educational details flew by quickly. But then again, Dinomania was clearly designed to entertain first and teach second. Judging by the constant laughter and applause, it struck that balance very well.
By the end of the performance, the crowd left looking thoroughly delighted, with plenty of children still buzzing about their favourite dinosaurs. Dinomania might not have been a museum lecture on palaeontology but it was a roaring good time that managed to sneak a few facts in between the fun. For families looking for a fun weekend activity in Brighton, this prehistoric takeover proved to be dino mite entertainment.
You can find out more about Dinomania at www.dinomania.co.uk
Dinomania review – 5 stars
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