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REVIEWSIs This MusicAh, Edinburgh. The Festival. A broad and bewildering mix of comedy, one-man shows, satire, musicals and epic tales of pre-history. Dinosaur Planet offers all of the above and more in an hour-long extravaganza. It’s an everyday tale of until-recently-extinct creatures and the evisceration that ensues when it turns out that they’re not only alive, but smarter than your average human - “Dinosaur philosophers in space”, as the song goes. The intrepid audience therefore embark on a journey through space and time via Norwich in MJ Hibbett’s one-man rock opera. It stars Terry, played by a handsome singer-songwriter, who battles adinosaur invasion aided only by his grandad (played by Simon Callow) and The General (the grumpy woman off Dragon’s Den, in an inspired piece of casting). These are of course only suggestions for the movie in your head, as this show’s cast is one man and his guitar. Any lavish sets or CGI are painted in in the minds of the audience, who are also called to provide backing on the opening theme - “Dinosaur Planet, ooh-wee-ooh.” We’re also advised that Axl Rose may have no part to play in the soundtrack, which includes such instant classics as ‘Battle for Peterborough’ but quite who will provide the CGI voices of the dinosaurs or (SPOILER ALERT!) the rather arrogant 300 foot high robots is to be decided. I’m betting on Tom Hanks, or since they inexplicably talk like pirates, Johnny Depp. There’s also plenty for any science buffs present with meteorites, spark plugs and volcanoes all somehow helping the improbable plot fall into place. I will refrain from giving away the ending, but given that the closing epic song is a bastard hybrid of Billy Bragg and Scorpions, you can imagine that a titanic struggle for mankind is on the cards. Hibbett as usual brings us a personable chatty show with some top-notch tunes to go with the banter and ’script’. Regular backing band the Validators may well record a full-band version of the soundtrack, while the rights to the blockbuster movie presumably will being fought over by Spielberg and Lucas after the Edinburgh run is over. Take the opportunity to see Dinosaur Planet while it’s small - and while you still can… Stuart McHugh, August 13 2009 The Herald Norwich will never be the same again. As the landing site for MJ Hibbett's alien force in his remake of War of the Worlds, this pleasant East Anglian city becomes devastated by Buzz Lightyear-style dinosaurs. And so begins an agreeably exhausting tale told with engagingly physical enthusiasm and driven by songs that in the soundtrack to a movie requiring football stadia for screenings will be sung by Axl Rose and Meatloaf with orchestral accompaniment. Here, ditties such as The Battle of Peterbrough are sung my MJ himself to his own guitar strumming in a basement bar. But like all good storytellers, Hibbett takes his audience on a journey. In his fantasy, dinosaurs from outer space speak like pirates, drink rum and gang up with us earthlings to fight 300ft robots for our survival. Nuts? You bet. But clever and entertaining with it. Rob Adams, August 14 2009 Fest Magazine One-man science fiction rock opera Dinosaur Planet is, like its fearsome protagonists, a strange animal. With obvious musical talent and inspired by a genuine love for spectacular B-movies, M.J. Hibbett sets about telling the story of the unwelcome invasion of East Anglia through the eyes of heroic IT worker Terry, armed only with an acoustic guitar. Adults will spot the scattered references to popular fiction and crack a smile, whilst kids will enjoy (in the words of the performer) the "scenes of violent evisceration" between dinosaurs with bazookas and 300ft robots. Undoubtedly, there is difficult territory to negotiate among the recent glut of musical comedy acts and at times the story feels like too much for one man to carry. The unused instruments stacked against the back wall from the previous show perhaps hint at what Hibbett could achieve with a backing band and a little more clout. However, gems like 'My Grandad is Nuts' and 'The Battle For Peterborough' are well-suited to the lone troubadour and maintain the air of lo-fi irreverence, while his enthusiastic finale is surprisingly easy to imagine as a showdown of Jerry Bruckheimer proportions. According to Hibbett, Dinosaur Planet is like Jeff Wayne’s War of the Worlds “except with more dinosaurs, more jokes and a better ending”. He's right about the first two, and the reptilian invaders don’t catch swine flu, but you’ll have to go along yourself to learn of their fate. Nick Lewis, August 15 2009 ThreeWeeks A one-man acoustic rock-opera about dinosaurs from space starring Deborah Meaden from Dragon's Den, in theory, is one of the most ill-conceived performances to ever reach a stage. Luckily, MJ Hibbett doesn't take himself too seriously. While we're all familiar with the Hollywood clichés, Hibbett revitalises cinematic parody in his own ramshackle way. His bespoke, anti-folk style, as his lyrics take us through the decimation of Peterborough, serves to emphasise how absurdly inane the blockbuster formulas are. Though that's not to say MJ doesn't enjoy the thrill of big-budget cinema, and this passion gives his performance a rare, boy-like enthusiasm. At times this excitement leads to over-wordy plot explanations between songs, but I can't help looking forward to the sequel. Robert Cooke, August 25 2009 |
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| 'Dinosaur Planet' is rated Certificate 12: contains mild peril and action violence |