The Yorkton Exhibition Summer Fair got prehistoric, with a young dinosaur coming out to entertain kids. Prevo is a baby Tyrannosaurus Rex, and he was out to greet children over the course of the fair.
Richard Barker, T-Rex Wrangler and Founder and CEO of National Entertainment Group, says that the dinosaur has met thousands of kids, and only a small number being afraid of the dinosaur.
“They’re very brave here in Yorkton.”
It’s a big moment for dinosaurs in the world overall, with Jurassic World breaking box office records. Barker says that the kids have seen the movie, and that’s one of the reasons why it’s a kid magnet, as they want to get up close to what they’ve seen on the screen.
“There’s always some little kid that reacts in a different way. I think it’s a game changer in terms of memories, I really do. These kids will always remember that they saw a T-Rex here in Yorkton, or wherever it might be, and the photograph of the kid next to the T-Rex I can guarantee is going to be shown at their wedding day and honestly it’s much bigger than having a picture with a pony or a horse.”
Of course, the dinosaurs died out millions of years ago, and while cloning might be possible in Jurassic Park in the real world you’re not going to be able to do it. Prevo is a custom made design which took a year to put together. Attention to detail was a major reason why they decided to do the design work themselves, as they turned down many proposed versions because they didn’t feel they were realistic enough.
“It’s a realistic replica of what they think a T-Rex looked like, it’s about as realistic as you’ll get, it’s really full-on.”
Being a dinosaur is hard work, and Barker says they can only go for an hour at a time simply due to the sheer physical exertion that is required to perform. Barker admits that he would rather be outside than in the 25kg costume, which gets incredibly hot over the course of a performance.
“Not only is he surrounded by foam, but also silicone and a layer of rubber as well. There’s one little fan inside there but there’s no real ventilation in there... It’s a natural weight loss program, if you want to lose weight be one of my dinosaurs!”
Actually performing as one of the dinosaurs is also a complicated process, as Barker explains.
“There is a metal frame inside, with bicycle handlebars and a braking system. Push the brake and the mouth opens and closes, push another brake and it blinks, then you have the roaring mechanism inside that has to sync with the mouth that you have to operate with a button. You can only see out the nose, so your view is very limited. Obviously you have to go up and down, left and right, tail sway and roaring, so there’s a lot that goes into it.”
The limited view is also why a wrangler is necessary, to ensure the actor and kids all stay safe.
It’s a baby T-Rex for practical reasons, Barker says. As a touring show, they need something that can fit in a trailer, and if you’re not taking a baby you can’t really take it from place to place. While Barker is aware of a full size T-Rexes in the world, specifically in Japan, he also says they stay in one place because touring is impossible when you get that big.
While this year is all about the dinosaur, the next project is already in the works, with a detailed animatronic gorilla currently being developed. A highlight of this project is the highly detailed face.
