Dayna Lea Hoffman and Katie Yoner in ‘Rat Academy’, Photo by Photo Marc Chalifoux, Epic Photography
Presented by Batrabbit Productions
So, I have two new friends. They’re rats. They survived Alberta’s culling. (A whole thing I just learned about!) One of them is a little nicer than the other, but y’know, it can’t be easy being detested vermin; one must make allowances for some, uh, anti-human sentiments. Fingers (Katie Yoner) has plenty of those. He’s rough, ready to fight and desperate to teach his gentle and trusting side kick, Shrimp (Dayna Lea Hoffmann) how to be a proper, survivor rat. Thus: Rat Academy, a clown show created by Yoner and Hoffmann, takes the form of a lecture. Shrimp and the audience are disappointing students, but Fingers himself has some valuable lessons to learn.
That’s it, really. But it’s a lot. The performances themselves are endearing and hilarious. With Fingers sporting a mangy checkered coat (a fusion of Cruella De Vil and Ratso Rizzo) and Shrimp bright and fluffy, their contrasting personae—curmudgeonly and ingratiating—make for a simple yet rich dynamic. Holed up in a grimy alley with trash bins full of random objects they’ve collected, Fingers tries to teach us all how to Steal, Run, Hide, Fight and Sniff! Whenever in doubt, they consult the Magic 8 Ball they call “God.” God’s answers, generic yet simultaneously cryptic, are gospel.
While their chemistry is solid and adorable, their clever use of the audience really sells their whole schtick. Full disclosure: I am wary of audience participation. My own social anxiety aside, I worry it might be cringy or clumsy at best, mildly traumatizing at worst. From the moment they appeared on stage, my fears were fully abated. From call and response to prop holding (giant cheese!) to dancing, its all so perfectly disarming. They are intensely aware of and in tune with us. There is a moment, quite well into the antics, when Fingers finds himself trying to wrangle people together during multiple unruly scenarios at once. The momentum is maintained throughout, truly breathtaking mastery of the form.
Directed by Joseph McManus and designed by Meegan Sweet (costumes) Claire Sonmor (set, lighting), this is a persuasive treat. It even goes to some genuinely ominous, creepy places without losing sight of the goofy tone. The final moments are very sweet too. There is glorious, delightful madness to be found here.
Rat Academy
@ Toronto Fringe Festival
running July 3 to 14, 2024
Theatre Passe Muraille Mainspace (16 Ryerson Ave)
running time: 60 minutes
