When we first arrived for Dinosaur World Live at the Oxford Playhouse, we were pleasantly surprised to find there was someone to greet us at the entrance. As you can imagine with a kids performance, there was the usual chaotic buzz before a show, but the staff were really helpful — I was immediately directed to the buggy park, shown where the toilets were, and it was clear where to go with our tickets.

We found our seats and were handed booster seats for our son (who is three) without even needing to ask — definitely a welcome touch! The show started promptly with the main character, Miranda, who was a charming and instantly likeable host. I loved that there was a bit of backstory to her character. The kids were told she was on an island full of dinosaurs, and my son was immediately immersed.

The dinosaur puppets looked amazing, but honestly, hats off to the wranglers who were animating the creatures. I noticed they were also doing the sounds, which was really impressive. Dressed in black, they blended in so well that it really felt like you were watching the dinosaurs themselves moving around the stage.

There was a great mix of kids’ humour, dinosaur facts, classic panto-style “he’s behind you!” moments, audience volunteers, and just a touch of booming theatrics. It was the perfect balance — for sensitive kids, there might be one or two slightly scary moments, but they were quickly softened by the loveable dinosaurs.

My little one started to get a bit wriggly in the final few minutes, so the timing was spot on. I really loved the ending — a sweet, light-hearted close where a baby dinosaur we’d been waiting to see hatch throughout the show finally made its appearance, reunited with its mum. It meant the kids left with a nice, fuzzy feeling, not too hyped up, and with the scarier bits long forgotten.

There was even a chance to meet one of the baby dinosaurs at the end. The wrangler handled the crowd perfectly — things moved quickly and smoothly, and they got through the entire theatre without a hitch. Really impressive.

My little one was roaring all the way home. His favourite dinosaur? Of course, the T. Rex. The minute we walked through the door, he started reenacting the whole show — wranglers and puppets included. My husband and I were quickly roped in too!