The Great Big Dinosaur Show

Which dinosaur menaced the seas instead of the land? Which dinosaur was barely the size of a dog, and which made a noise like a goat playing a didgeridoo? And what could a CHICKEN possibly be doing in The Great Big Dinosaur Show?!

Join poet Simon Mole and musician Gecko for a family show full of poems, raps and songs about all your favourite prehistoric protagonists (and some you haven’t heard of yet!). Expect some spine-tinglingly funny scares and get your groove on to some Jurassic Classics!

The show is inspired by Simon Mole’s 4th book; A First Book of Dinosaurs, published by Walker in September 2023.

All audience members are invited to bring a sock of any size or colour to become part of our sauropod sock herd!

We advise these being additional socks to the ones you will be wearing on your feet…

Simon Mole is an acclaimed children’s poet (and sleep deprived dad) who has shared stages with Michael Rosen, Kae Tempest and John Hegley. He is a National Poetry Day ambassador, with over ten years of experience using poetry with children and families. Former poet in residence for the National Literacy Trust, Simon works in schools and libraries across the country and overseas. The videos on his YouTube channel are used by hundreds of thousands of children and teachers across the world each year and have been featured on the BBC.  A First Book of Dinosaurs will be followed by A First Book of Bugs in 2025. His other books are picture books Kites, I Love My Bike (shortlisted for The Sunday Times Children’s Sports Book of the Year) and I Love My Cat, illustrated by Sam Usher. Simon lives in Berkshire. Simon’s favourite dinosaur is Coelophysis. www.simonmole.com

Gecko is a Singer, Storyteller and Musician. His playful lyrics cover the big things in life; think iPhones, libraries and Guanabana fruit juice to name but a few. With more than 4 million views and 1 million likes on TikTok in the past year, Gecko’s previous appearances include Glastonbury, Latitude, Bestival, BBC Scotland, BBC London and the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. He has toured the UK, Europe & New Zealand. Gecko’s music has also been featured on BBC Radio 1, BBC Radio 6 Music, Radio X and BBC Introducing. He has twice been awarded ‘Album of the Year’ by The Morning Star newspaper. In 2020, Gecko released his second album, Climbing Frame, crowd funded by his audience in just 48 hours. He appeared on BAFTA winning TV show ‘Life & Rhymes’ hosted by Benjamin Zephaniah and has shared bills with the likes of Tim Minchin, Eddie Izzard, Ed Sheeran and Billy Bragg. Gecko’s favourite dinosaur is Deinonychus. www.geckoofficial.com