When you think of epic battles between ankylosaurus and T-Rex, I’m sure one of the last places to come to mind is mid-Wales.

However, the giant lizards took stormed Brecon Leisure Centre on Saturday, May 14 - before heading to Llandrindod Wells Sports Centre on Sunday.

Led by Head Ranger Chris Roberts and his team of rangers, gasps audibly filled the leisure centre’s sports hall as the dinosaurs made their appearances one by one.

As I entered the event, I was a little bit nervous as I realised we were the only adults who were not accompanying children to see the dinosaurs.

Head Ranger Chris with Milly the Triceratops
Head Ranger Chris with Milly the Triceratops (Tindle)

However my worries melted as the show began - while it is aimed at children, I can promise that adult dinosaur lovers will also have an incredible time seeing their childhood favourites up close.

As part of our experience, we met various dinosaurs including Ronnie the T-Rex, Nancy the Raptor, full-size triceratops Milly and baby triceratops Trixie, baby raptors Chip and Nibbles, and Archie the Ankylosaurus, just to name a few.

Most guests sat on the floor, there are options to sit on seats around the event for those who are not able to sit on the ground and it does not change the level of interaction with the walking or baby dinosaurs.

Dinomania definitely delivered, packed with giant pre-historic puppets and fun, it was hard not to get into the whole experience.

The dinosaurs look incredibly convincing and, even at the age of 27, I briefly believed a triceratops was standing in front of me - looking in awe as if I had reverted back to being about eight years old.

From seeing the Dinomania performance at Brecon Leisure Centre, it is clear to see how they successfully navigated the Britain’s Got Talent auditions.

Despite the popularity of the group, they make sure they do not become overbooked for their shows to maximise the ability to interact with the crowds.

The dinosaurs move around the crowd, safely guided by the rangers, allowing all guests the chance to interact with and touch them.

Guests are given the simple instructions to wave their hands and make a scared face if they want the dinosaurs to stay away or wave their hands and look happy for the dinosaurs to approach them.

The realism and size of the dinosaurs is incredible, however, it can also be potentially problematic for families with younger children who might find them frightening.

+ 8
(View All)

Head Ranger Chris with Milly the Triceratops

On the Dinomania website, it recommends children aged three to 14.

As well as the dinosaurs, guests can also see fossils and dinosaur eggs, and they have the opportunity to participate in mini-quizzes throughout the show.

One thing which is important to note about the experience is that the fun is also hugely brought by the rangers.

Ranger Chris is bubbling with excited energy from start to finish - his, along with the other rangers, interactions with the dinosaurs really give you the feeling that they are living creatures in front of you.

Despite the general noise level in the sports hall, the rangers captured and held everyone’s attention.

This show is something which would not feel out of place somewhere like a theme park - I would highly recommend it to dinosaurs lovers of all ages.

Dinomania has gained online success on its YouTube and TikTok channels which feature its various dinosaurs along with the rangers.

The Hirwaun based company visits locations and events all around the UK, either as part of the Dinomania tour or so that the dinosaurs and rangers can take part in everything from weddings, to school workshops to corporate events.

The Welsh team hosts the largest walking dinosaur in the UK, Al the Allosaurus which stands at 7.3 metres long and four metres tall.

Nancy behind Head Ranger Chris
Nancy behind Head Ranger Chris (Tindle)

The walking dinosaurs do everything from walking to blinking and winding up their rangers.

Dinoamania also features a mini-museum with real fossils, replicas and various facts about the giant monsters.

The exhibit includes items from all the big dinosaur favourites such as Tyrannosaurus Rex, Spinosaurus, Triceratops, and Stegosaurus as well as other dinosaurs including some marine reptiles and other prehistoric creatures.

As Dinomania continues its tour around the UK, the award-winning group will hopefully hear from Britain’s Got Talent in the coming weeks as to whether they have successfully made it through the “Judges Choice” round - where judges choose who goes through to the semi-final.

The group won-over three out of the four judges - including Simon Cowell.

Catching up with Head Ranger Chris after the show:

Chris Roberts is the man who started Dinomania around eight years ago.

The 41-year-old head ranger from Hirwaun joined up with the first edition of Ronnie the T-Rex to start entertaining people with dinosaurs.

Originally a window fitter, Chris said: “Since I was a child, I loved dinosaurs, it’s a huge passion I’ve had. I’ve never really studied them but I’m self-taught and I’ve learnt my own facts, I just love them so much.

“Another failed business that I had, was as a bad window fitter - it kind of put me in a position where I didn’t know what to do so I just decided to take the plunge and start entertaining people with dinosaurs.

“The first edition Ronnie, he’s no longer with us - was the first we ever had, seven years ago almost. We’ve just continued to improve them as time’s gone on - the movement and everything.”

Chris never breaks character, even when you catch him backstage or at the end of the end of a show.

When asked how he acquired the dinosaurs - whether the Dinomania team had made them - he responded: “They come from eggs”

The head ranger said that his favourite part of the job is seeing people’s reactions to the incredible puppets.

He said: “When people forget where they are for a moment and they really do sort of take it on board that there’s a dinosaur coming out at them, and even if for a split second we’ve got them fooled, it’s a great moment.

“Also, the smiles on all the kid’s faces - you’ve been here today and seen how many people love it and children absolutely go wild for it.”

“As you can see, in our shows, we don’t pack the room - we give enough space for the dinosaurs to come in amongst the audience. We could do it on a stage somewhere, but this way people can get up close and personal with the dinosaurs. It’s a great way with showing them off.”

When asked about the group’s time on Britain’s Got Talent and what it was like to see themselves back on TV, Chris responded: “It was weird”.

He said: “It was unusual - I’ve never been on TV before like that, little articles here and there on the news, but never national news.

“It was unusual but I think we did really well. We’ve had great comments off people and when we watch it back they’re always smiling and laughing, and that’s what we want, to make people smile.

“Regardless of whether we get through or not, we want to make people smile.

“We’ve got the next lot of rehearsals done ourselves and we think it’s a good little act, and if we get through then people will hopefully see it.”