REVIEW: the Teach Rex Velociraptor Show at Heswall Hall

Yesterday Heswall Hall was invaded by human families and dinosaurs as Teach Rex staged the entertaining and informative Velociraptor show with which it tours.

Teach Rex is an educational company formed by two young local primary school teachers, Sam Bryan and Joe Parsonage.

In the company of my son, three year old grandson and his best mate, we were joined by several velociraptors, a T-Rex, and other smaller dinos which I couldn't name - though the little ones could.

The dinosaurs are puppeteers in dino suits, which did give rise to an observation from one of our small companions - "I can see a man's bottom."

But anyone who has seen the stage version of Michael Morpurgo's novel 'War Horse' will know that a glimpse of an operator soon gives way to suspension of disbelief and, for all intents and purposes, the audience is in close proximity to fantastic beasts.

What's more, the Teach Rex dinosaurs are well designed and made.

Teach Rex places a pleasing emphasis on fact and dispelling myths about dinosaurs, many of which were brought into being by the 'Jurassic Park' movie franchise.

Sam and Joe, who act as hosts, explain what scientists believe now about the creatures which might well have become the dominant species on our planet had it not been for an asteroid strike 66 million years ago.

Science argues that the collision threw so much debris into the atmosphere that the skies darkened and food chains were shattered as plant life in particular struggled to survive.

Many species of animal suffered the consequences, including the dinosaurs, for whom the asteroid collision represented an extinction event. Their 180 million year reign came to an end.

The Velociraptor Show is a good example of learning by stealth and 'laughing yourself smart' - amid the fun and games are many nuggets of information and theory, and beyond that a general desire to inspire youngsters.

When you arrive you'll find an activity and quiz booklet on your seat, along with crayons, so the entertainment and education can continue when you arrive back home. There are also dinosaur photo opportunities to be had once the show is over.

Says Sam Bryan: "We want children to become interested in science, and not be afraid to ask the questions 'Why?' and 'What if?'. They can become the scientists of tomorrow who make sure we know even more about the history of our planet and care about its future."

Yesterday morning the audience appeared to go away very happy and, if you are feeling like a small dinosaur fan in your life missed out on something, the good news is that The Velociraptor Show returns to Heswall Hall this coming Sunday.

There are three performances on the day, the first at 10am.

Tickets can be booked by clicking or tapping here.