‘I remember my tour of the Drama Department as a prospective student, being taken in to the theatre, standing in the circle, holding the handrail and being told: “You see this, all this is yours, not the lecturers, not the Heads of Departments, yours, the students. If you come here, it’s yours.” It felt like a vast ideas factory absolutely up for the taking.’

Laura Cubitt (BA Drama, 2000), Olivier Award Winner, Director, Puppetry & Movement Director and Performer for live performance and screen

Drama graduate Laura Cubitt will be bringing dinosaurs to life in Minneapolis later this year. Laura’s Olivier Award winning Dinosaur World Live will see life-like dinosaurs such as the Triceratops, Microraptor and, of course, every child’s favourite, the T-Rex stalk the stage at the Tony Award winning Children’s Theatre Company.

Dinosaur World Live holds a special place in Laura’s heart. The show, which she co-Directed alongside writer Derek Bond, has toured the world in recent years, and it was the first show she made since moving across from performing when she was pregnant with her son.

‘It’s linked to a very special time in my life of becoming a parent for the first time, and what that meant to be an artist and mother and how to navigate this,’ Laura said. ‘It’s not simple or straightforward as mothers working in the arts, there’s a lot to hold, the landscape is only now adjusting to support this and more needs to be done.  So this really felt like one for the mothers in theatre out there.’

Laura’s work has long specialised in puppetry and movement. Prior to dinosaurs she has worked with mythical creatures, Pinocchio, the Lorax and many others. But it was Warhorse where she really learned her craft and helped to reshape theatre.

‘Joey form Warhorse will always have a special place in my heart as we all cut our teeth on this show.  It was so seminal for so many of us and for the theatre landscape.  It was a tough endeavour back in the days where we weren’t sure it could be done.  Warhorse spawned a whole family of theatre makers and puppeteers, a community, we all still work together today, devising, workshopping, making, making, making.’

Dinosaur World Live was a different challenge for Laura and her team, with a lot of work and planning going into make the choreographed appear natural and spontaneous, and making family puppet theatre look like something David Attenborough might have made.

‘We try to keep the dinos feeling wild and free, so what you’re watching feels accidental and unscripted, as far as the dinosaur action goes.  We want it to feel like anything could happen at any moment.  In order to achieve this, it’s obviously highly choreographed moment to moment to land story beats and characterisation in an ‘ off the cuff’ kind of way.  Like watching a nature documentary- but with dinosaurs.’

As a University of Hull Drama graduate, Laura’s story started here, at the Gulbenkian, and she remembers very well her first experience of visiting.

‘I remember my tour of the Drama Department as a prospective student, being taken in to the theatre, standing in the circle, holding the handrail and being told: “You see this, all this is yours, not the lecturers, not the Heads of Departments, yours, the students. If you come here, it’s yours.” It felt like a vast ideas factory absolutely up for the taking. An offer, an invitation, to run with, if you so desired. That offer went in deep and struck a chord I think I’ve held with me somewhere ever since.’

That sense of ownership and creative freedom went on to shape Laura’s entire approach to theatre-making, laying the foundations for a practice built on collaboration, and experimentation.

‘The opportunity for new writing, scratch showings, and devising has one hundred per cent made me the theatre maker I am today.  Inspiring an ethos to try, to think and do, make and show, light, fast, an attempt.  To get it out and put work in front of someone for feedback or simply for fun.  Seeds of ideas. The Huddles, Huddlees, studio weeks with their emphasis on trying out work nurtured an ethos of endeavour and possibility. We wrote, created, tried bits, took new writing to Edinburgh.  Alongside this experimental side were the main house shows, structured and delivered to the same model as professional theatre is today, putting together our own creative teams, pitching shows, making budgets, working as teams.  All entirely reflective of how is still done out in the world.  Invaluable and mobilising.’

And for those studying at the Gulbenkian today, and dreaming of one day pursuing a creative career, Laura is clear in her advice: ‘Collaborate. Don’t be put off by ideas of perfection or product.  It also takes time and the path can be twisty but over time it emerges.  Work breeds work, meeting and working with people leads to more.  Show up, work hard, do your research, so in a room you can have ideas, and pursue hunches fearlessly and with joy.  Some will not be right, some will sing to you. Let them.’

For the full touring schedule for Dinosaur World Live, visit dinosaurworldlive.com