LOUD explosions, spinning around until you’re sick and lots of shouting out – the creators of Brainiac Live have hit on a winning combination when it comes to entertaining kids.

With the Easter holidays proving something of a wash-out, it wasn’t surprising to see the theatre at Lighthouse, Poole practically full for this one-off, hour-long show.

Based on the award-winning TV series of the same name, the live version of Brainiac promises that extra bit of excitement, due to the fact that all the experiments are taking place in front of our eyes.

Of course, that added danger always leads to extra entertainment - in this case involving a rather unfortunate incident with an electric fence.

Budding young scientists also learnt how liquid nitrogen works, the best way to spin an office chair, and discovered which ‘things we can run through’ (wallpaper and plasterboard – yes; netting – no).

In between the set changes we were entertained with a series of brain games while the mischievous brainiacs set the scenes for yet more explosive experiments, including testing which gas makes a filled balloon pop the loudest, and even blowing up a microwave.

Not for the faint-hearted, but great fun for the fearless.