Invasion of dinosaurs promises to educate and entertain, but beware the brutal bits

If you think directing a theatre show with children and animals is hard, how about 20 life-sized dinosaurs? The stage adaptation of the BBC's award-winning television series Walking with Dinosaurs is coming to Hong Kong. The show opens tomorrow night at AsiaWorld-Expo and will run until January 2.

For what might sound like Jurassic Park live, director Alli Coyne (pictured with one of the cast members) wants it to be more of an edutainment.

'There are educational elements in there, but it's more of an entertainment,' said Coyne, who arrived in Hong Kong at the weekend with a team of 70 to get ready for tomorrow's show.

'The dinosaurs are very realistic and loud, and you'll see them ripping each other up. Brutal, yes, but quite a few people enjoy that bit.'

The dinosaurs are gigantic - brachiosaurus is as tall as a three-storey building - and most of the dinosaurs need three people to operate them.

'Their eyes are so real that you'll feel them following you around in the theatre,' said Coyne. Don't get too carried away, though. Don't pick a fight with the Tyrannosaurus-rex.