Which dinosaur had teeth as big as a banana? Which dinosaur weighed the same as 10,000 cats? 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, illustrated by Matt Hunt, published by Walker Books in September 2023.

Running time: 50 mins approx, no interval
Doors open: 15 mins before performance start
Accessibility access:

About the performers:

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
Facebook: @simonmolepoet
Twitter: @Si_Mole
YouTube: youtube.com/simonmole

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
Facebook: @geckoband
Twitter: @geckoofficial
Instagram: @geckoofficial

Show Credits:

Created by Simon Mole, Gecko & Peader Kirk
Performed by Simon Mole & Gecko
Directed by Peader Kirk
Score & Composition by Gecko
Publicity by Alison Duguid
Project Management by Maeve O’Neill
Produced by Simon Mole & Rua Arts
Supported by Norden Farm, artsdepot & Oxford University Museum of Natural History
Funded by Arts Council England National Lottery Grants