Longhill Sports Centre in Rottingdean took on a very different atmosphere when Dinomania arrived in Brighton, transforming the sports hall into a lively prehistoric playground for families. The 90 minute show quickly drew in an enthusiastic crowd and once the show got underway, it delivered a combination of theatre, education and audience participation that kept the room engaged from start to finish.
At the centre of it all was Ranger Chris, who led the adventure with a relaxed and confident style that worked particularly well with the young audience. Acting as presenter, guide and occasional dinosaur wrangler, he kept the energy high while encouraging plenty of interaction. Rather than simply delivering facts, he constantly involved the crowd by asking questions, inviting guesses and sharing snippets of dinosaur knowledge along the way. Children were eager to join in, calling out answers and offering their own impressive dinosaur facts whenever the opportunity appeared.
The real excitement began once the dinosaurs themselves entered the arena. Instead of remaining on a distant stage, the creatures moved directly through the performance space, passing close to the audience and adding a sense of unpredictability to the experience.
The puppets and costumes were impressively detailed, with moving heads, swaying tails and convincing movements that helped bring the prehistoric characters to life. When the first dinosaur appeared and walked past the front rows, the reaction from the crowd was immediate, with laughter, surprise and plenty of delighted squeals.
A range of dinosaurs appeared throughout the show, each with its own personality. Spike the spinosaurus opened the adventure with a dramatic entrance that instantly captured the attention of the room. Ava the utahraptor later added a mischievous element, frequently testing Ranger Chris’s ability to keep things under control. Bramble, a small baby dinosaur searching for his mum, brought a gentler and more playful moment that younger children in particular seemed to enjoy.
Halfway through the performance there was a short interval, which allowed visitors to explore a small pop up dinosaur museum set up around the hall. Replica fossils, skeleton models and prehistoric artefacts were displayed for children to examine up close. It added an educational layer to the event and provided a quieter moment before the second half of the show began.
The venue itself worked surprisingly well for this kind of performance. With the audience seated around the floor space rather than facing a traditional stage, the show felt more immersive and informal. The dinosaurs were able to roam freely among the crowd, which helped make the experience feel far more engaging, particularly for younger viewers who could see the creatures just a few feet away.
Before the performance even started, families were greeted by several enormous inflatable prehistoric creatures around the venue, including a towering woolly mammoth and a huge sarcosuchus. Both stretched high into the air and nearly reached the sports hall ceiling, quickly becoming popular photo spots as children gathered underneath them while parents took pictures.
By the end of the show, the hall was still buzzing with excitement as families made their way out. Dinomania managed to blend entertainment and education in a way that kept younger audiences engaged while still giving parents plenty to enjoy. It was a lively and memorable family experience that clearly understood exactly what its audience had come to see.
Dinpmania was on the 14th and 15th March – Longhill Sports Centre, Rottingdean
