THE COLOUR OF DINOSAURS To Be Presented In The Main Theatre At Polka Theatre

Polka Theatre have announced that the ROAR-some The Colour of Dinosaurs is coming to Polka, following a sold-out week at Bristol Old Vic in 2023. The Colour of Dinosaurs will play in Polka's Main Theatre from 11 May – 9 June 2024.

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 as they enter the multi-coloured world of the dinosaurs in a sixty-minute 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!

Lloyd Coleman, composer/co-creator of The Colour of Dinosaurs explains, “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. You can also expect catchy tunes, emotional real-life stories and some incredible fossils… on top of asking why this stuff matters to us as humans. My bandmates and I are so excited to stomp our way into Polka this summer!”

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.

As Executive Producer for co-creator Otic, Liz Counsell explains, “At the heart of this show is the belief that curiosity can triumph over fear, that everyone is equal and that all of our brilliant differences should be celebrated and bring us together, not push us apart.

Each member of the cast explores various aspects of difference and identity, interwoven through the show... for instance, 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. We were amazed at just how many profound conversations were prompted by Jakob's study of ancient dinosaur fossils. But the show is really silly and fun too: It's a kaleidoscope of science, emotions, jokes and cracking tunes.”

Tickets and More Information

The Colour of Dinosaurs is directed by Dom Coyote and associate director Kyla Goodey, with music by Lloyd Coleman and writing by Malaika Kegode, and is based on the research of Dr Jakob Vinther. It is designed by Amy Pitt and Saskia Tomlinson, with lighting design by Chris Swain and sound by Joe D'souza and sensory design consultancy by Annie Davies.

Tickets are on sale now via polkatheatre.com or call 020 8543 4888*

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