RAT ACADEMY

Rat Academy is a 60 minute physical theatre and clown performance written by Dayna Lea Hoffmann and Katie Yoner. Inspired by Alberta’s infamous 1951 Rat Control Program, the plot follows Fingers, the last rat left in Alberta, and Shrimp, an escaped lab rat (played by Hoffmann and Yoner, respectively), as they traverse the alleys of Edmonton’s Whyte Avenue. With the threat of extinction and to preserve his legacy, Fingers creates the “Rat Academy” to lead Shrimp and the audience through lessons on “How to Rat”. A large-scale rat trap is discovered, and the hijinks of their world take a turn when they are forced to wrestle with the violent nature of their human audience and learn that their survival is fraught without friendship.

Since the inception of this show, the creative team has been mentored by the artists behind Mump and Smoot, trailblazers of Canadian comedy, and Elena Belyea of the successful indie company Tiny Bear Jaws. In 2023, the hour-long version of Rat Academy debuted at the Edmonton International Fringe Festival and has since toured across the country, gaining a cult following for its hysterical audience interaction, skillfully developed characters, and heartfelt story. The production’s history is as follows:

2022 PlayTheFool Festival (Edmonton AB) – Artists in Residence
2022 PlayTheFool Festival (Edmonton AB) – Triple-Bill Performance
2023 NextFest (Edmonton AB) – Rat Academy; In Development
2023 Edmonton Fringe (Sold out run)
2023 Vancouver Fringe (Sold out run)
2023 TheatreYES (Edmonton AB) – The Play’s The Thing – Cameo
2024 Orlando Fringe FestN4 (Florida, USA)
2024 Toronto Fringe (Sold out run)
2024 Winnipeg Fringe (Sold out run)
2024 Saskatoon Fringe (Sold out run)
2024 Edmonton Fringe (Sold out run)
Produced in Partnership with Rapid Fire Theatre
2024 Intrepid Theatre (Victoria BC)
2024 Surrey Civic Theatre (Surrey BC)
2024 Pi Theatre (Vancouver BC)
2025 Theatre Outre (Lethbridge AB)
2025 High Performance Rodeo (Calgary AB)

If you’re interested in bringing Rat Academy to a city near you, drop us a line or check out of presenter’s package at the link below.