SIXTY-FIVE million years later – they’re back. More than a dozen life-size dinosaurs were limbering up at the Liverpool Echo Arena yesterday ahead of their assault on the city later this summer.
A 36-foot tall brachiosaurus and two Utahraptors were among those put through their paces in a week-long rehearsal session for the £12m arena version of Walking With Dinosaurs.
Based on the hit BBC TV programme, the show features 15 dinosaurs .
The creatures play, eat, breathe and fly while Huxley – a paleontologist in the Indiana Jones mould – walks around as the audience’s guide.
They were advised by the BBC and paleontologists on the likely movement, behaviour and size of the dinosaurs.
“Nobody has ever seen real dinosaurs walking around,” said associate director Cameron Wenn. “This was the closest we will get to seeing them live.”
Each large dinosaur took 53 gallons of paint, 971 square feet of fabric and 433 cubic feet of foam to make.
Attention to detail is exhaustive.
“The backs of the T-Rex’s teeth are serrated,” said Cameron.
“You can’t see that in the audience of course, but we wanted to make sure we had a real dinosaur, not a stage one.”
