Have you ever wondered what a dinosaur might do in a day? Or what they actually looked like? What colour were they? Were they really green like they are in the movies?
Audiences of all ages are invited to join famous palaeontologist Dr Jakob Vinther and a five-strong band at the Polka Theatre as they enter the multi-coloured world of the dinosaurs.
‘The Colour of Dinosaurs’ is a sixty-minute theatre show featuring a kaleidoscope of funky music, real-life stories and fascinating science.
Dr Jakob Vinther, a palaeontologist at Bristol University, made the discovery around 15 years ago: that melanin (a pigment) is preserved in the feathers and skin of dinosaurs and can thus help determine their original colourings.
Now he swaps the lab for the stage to tell the story of his discovery with the help of the real star of the show, Dee the Psittacosaurus - who is the most accurate model of a dinosaur ever made!
“Jakob changed what the world knows about the colour of dinosaurs, and our show dives headfirst into the mind-blowing science behind his big discovery,” said Lloyd Coleman, composer/co-creator of The Colour of Dinosaurs.
Recommended for 6-12 year olds and their families, ‘The Colour of Dinosaurs’ brings together an amazing team of neurodivergent and disabled performers to bring the story to life and celebrate everyone’s identities, including disability, cultural identity, and of course, how much they love dinosaurs!
Alongside Dr Jakob Vinter, the band is a collective of musicians and performers: Dom Coyote, Lloyd Coleman, Victoria Oruwari, Roxana Vilk and Harry Miller - playing themselves and sharing their own real-life experiences, their authentic responses to Jakob’s research and how they draw similarities from these dinosaur discoveries with themselves.
Each member of the cast explores various aspects of difference and identity, interwoven through the show,” said Executive Producer Liz Counsell.
“Lloyd has albinism, which is the inability to produce melanin and causes his vision impairment. Victoria experiences synaesthesia, the extraordinary ability to associate music and sounds with colour - especially fascinating as she became blind in childhood. Dom talks and sings movingly about not fully knowing about his heritage and identity, and Harry and Rocky both touch on aspects of their lived experiences too.”
‘The Colour of Dinosaurs’ will play in Polka’s Main Theatre, Wimbledon, South London, from May 11 to June 9.
Select performances will be BSL integrated. Captioned: Saturday 25 May 11am. Audio Described: Friday 31 May 2.30pm. To book and for full access information visit https://polkatheatre.com/