Who we are

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Who we are *

Six women on stage, five sitting on a bench and one standing, engaged in a theatrical performance with intense expressions, in dim lighting.

A London-based, international theatre collective making ambitious, original work through collaboration, curiosity, and a willingness to fail forwards.

Our core ensemble members have roots in India, Chile, Australia and Germany. We met in a lab (literally): RADA’s MA Theatre Lab ‘24, where experimentation wasn’t just encouraged, it was the point. Since then, we’ve committed to working as an ensemble in an industry that often pushes artists to go alone.

Why LabRats?

We honour a laboratory approach to theatre-making. Our process begins with research, improvisation, fragments, images and questions - not finished scripts. We test. We discard. We try again. Only later do we apply a dramaturgical lens and shape the work into performance.

And why rats? Like the little critters, we get around. Each of us brings distinct training and perspectives - physical theatre, dramaturgy, Bharatanatyam, immersive performance, and science communication. We survive by being adaptable.

We believe in community as a form of soft power. We share values, resources, labour and creative spirit freely.

Two performers on stage, one lying horizontally on a table with her head hanging downward and looking towards the camera, the other kneeling on the ground in front of her, both dressed in light-colored clothing, with a dark background and a small bas

A woman in a silver jumpsuit standing on a platform with arms outstretched, supported by another woman in costume, with a blue brick wall in the background.

Six actors in business attire participating in a theatrical performance on stage, with a black background.

People on stage performing in a theatrical scene under colorful lighting, with one person lying on the floor and others expressing dramatic emotions.

A woman with curly hair sitting on a chair, holding her head with one hand, in a theatrical setting with a spotlight, other women sitting in the background and one woman standing and speaking into a microphone.

Two women with curly hair are performing a dramatic scene on stage, sitting on the floor facing each other, with one woman appearing upset and the other speaking passionately.

Four women in dark suits sitting on stools on a stage, appearing to be in a theatrical performance, with a dark background.

“The Lab Rats are an agile, dynamic ensemble...”

— The Reviews Hub

Our Journey So Far

LabRats was formed in 2024 at RADA’s MA Theatre Lab when we started to breed our show Ratking. In 2025, we were artists-in-residence at the Coronet Theatre Summer Residency, where we further developed the piece. It went on to be showcased at Voila! Festival 2025, connecting with audiences eager for international, ensemble-led theatre and praised for its playful, dark and sensual nature.

Its reception affirmed our commitment to making work that celebrates many voices at once - and to continuing despite the logistical and financial challenges of ensemble-making.

What’s Next

We are continuing to seek opportunities to tour and present Ratking while developing new work.

With support from TidalArts (EU), we are currently developing Fish In A Kettle, a new immersive performance exploring how climate change is reshaping Liverpool Bay, the River Mersey, and the communities who live there. Premiering in Liverpool 25 May 2026, the piece set inside a house party in 2050 - hosted by the Ocean.

The audience doesn’t sit and watch. They enter the party. They move through it. They choose who to follow. They experience different versions of the future from inside the same night.

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Our core Ensemble

Two young adults perform a puppet show with a hand puppet resembling a face, using dark costumes and a black background.

felipe jara

He/him. Co-devisor, performer, visual designer.

I am a London-based Latinx artist with a strong interest in interdisciplinary practice, pop culture, and activism. I have over ten years of experience in independent and professional theatre, having trained at the PUC School of Acting in Santiago de Chile and completed the MA Theatre Lab at RADA.

Alongside my artistic practice, I work as a secondary-level drama teacher and have volunteered with charities advocating for social rights. My work has been funded twice by the Chilean National Arts Fund, and I have been nominated for the Carmen Prize for Best Direction in independent Chilean musical theatre. I believe that critical perspectives, human rights, cross-media practices, and contemporary theatre are powerful tools for artistic creation and social change.

A woman with curly hair in a black one-shoulder top holding a pair of scissors, with a quote over her head in red text above her.

claudia shnier

She/her.                                                                                       Co-devisor, performer, sound designer.

I’m a Jewish-Australian actor, writer, and creator known for my critically acclaimed one-woman show Split Ends (2025–2026).

I trained at Actors Centre Australia and completed the MA Lab at RADA. My previous roles include Beatrice in A View From the Bridge and Olivia in Twelfth Night. My work blends storytelling with physical performance to create deeply personal theatre.

A woman with long curly black hair and a nose piercing smiling at the camera, holding a microphone, standing in front of a promotional backdrop for Kerala movie time. The backdrop includes logos for Disney+ Hotstar and Kerala Film Festival, with event details and dates.

devaki rajendran

She/her.                                                                                        Co-devisor, performer, movement director.

I am an artist, performer, and dancer from India, working across film, theatre, and movement-based performance. My screen work includes Saudi Vellakka (2022) and Malik (2020), as well as the Disney+ series Kerala Crime Files (2023). I have also appeared in short films such as Pupa and Bindi.

Alongside screen work, I have a strong foundation in theatre, with performances in Banerjee Babu (2023) and Games People Play (2021). My practice is deeply rooted in dance and choreography, including presentations at Chilanka Festival and Mupperum Deviyar for Navaratri.

I hold an MA and BA in Music from the University of Kerala and completed the MA Theatre Lab at RADA, shaping my interdisciplinary approach to performance.

Two women engaged in an intense conversation during a theatrical performance, with three other women sitting in the background.

anita brokmeier

She/her.                                                                                       Co-devisor, performer, dramaturg.

I’m an actor-maker and writer with German-Polish roots, based in London since 2019. My artistic DNA was shaped by Berlin’s cutting-edge theatre scene, with MA training at the Royal Birmingham Conservatoire and RADA.

My projects have been supported by TIDAL ArtS, Arts Council England and more, and my writing was longlisted for the Radius Playwriting Award. Recent work includes the theatrical live cinema experience Florentine at the Schäxpir Festival Linz and Oil & Water at First Drafts, New Diorama London.

Close-up of a smiling woman with wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and fair skin in front of a soft pink background.

Kate Taylor Hunter

She/her.                                                                                        Co-devisor, performer, strategist.

Originally from Sydney, Australia, I trained at RADA (MA Theatre Lab) and The Atlantic Acting School in New York. I have performed in devised and classical theatre across the UK and Australia. My work has been funded by ACE, TIDAL Arts and the Kusuma Trust.

Alongside my performance practice, I have over a decade of experience working across museums, heritage and science communication, where I develop participatory and immersive learning experiences with communities, young people and educators. My work in this space has been published in academic journals and won awards.

We ‘re incredibly grateful for the support we’ve been given since the beginning of our journey - without mentoring support, access to rehearsal space, a platform to share our work or financial resources, we wouldn’t be where we are now.