labRats

Despite all your rage, you are still just a rat in a cage. Luckily, you're also a rat who's been outfitted with a neural implant that allows you to communicate telepathically with the other rats in your cage. Maybe that'll help.

labRats is a digitally native interactive performance for 20 people by the award-winning duo cirqueSaw. Pulling equally from classic games, silent films, and a generous helping of Lewis Carroll, the piece seeks to blur the line between reality and unreality, between wonder and horror. Straddling the line between theatre and game, the audience plays as rats in a lab outfitted with neural transmitters, and interact through a bespoke browser-based platform. A researcher performed by a live actor subjects them to a capricious experiment.  Later, the rats are set free from their cage, and explore the lab which is full of mysteries, puzzles, stories, and mini-games. Finally, the researcher ups the ante and the rats have to decide how to respond together.Audiences play as lab rats in an experiment beyond their control, who have to work together to take control of their lives. Whether they choose to escape, take over the lab, or deconstruct the fabric of the reality of their experience itself is entirely up to them.

Co-created live with the audience, every show is different.

Our September 17th & 20th shows are part of the Voidspace Online Festival and will begin at 7:30pm BST.

Run time: 75-85 minutes, depending on your choices.(Note that all shows are in Eastern United States time!)

Written by Nathan Leigh
Performed by Nicole Orabona

Frequently Asked Questions

• Wait, so this takes place entirely online?
  Yep! labRats is built on a custom programming language called Familect and runs in a sandboxed web platform called the cirqueSaw OS. We send you a link the morning of the show, and you can play from anywhere in the world!

• Does it matter what browser I play from?
  We've tested it on all major browsers, including Firefox, Chrome / Chromium, Edge, Brave, Safari

• Can I play on my phone?
  Though it has been tested on mobile devices, the text may be difficult to read on a smaller screen, and we have encountered inconsistencies with how mobile devices handle the animations, so we strongly recommend you use a laptop or desktop.

• Can my friend/roommate/spouse/frenemy play with me on the same device?
  If you are planning on experiencing this with another person in the same space, you should reserve one ticket for each device. What you see on your screen will be unique to you, but your choices will impact the world and story in deep and unpredictable ways. So it may be more fun to have one device per audience member. 

• Do I need to appear on camera or talk?
  All interactions take place in the chat, you won't be asked to appear on camera or microphone.

• Is it really free?
  Our work is supported by audience donation, and in exchange for an hour of entertainment, we ask you to donate whatever you make in an hour. If you are unemployed, elderly, immuno-compromised, or a student, you should feel encouraged to attend for free. You may contribute according to your means via Venmo, CashApp,or PayPal or make a tax deductible donation via our fiscal sponsor.

• Who are you?
  Hi, we're cirqueSaw! We create cooperative live performances through the interplay of cutting-edge and bespoke technology with classic handmade techniques. Our debut digital production, POV: You Are An AI Achieving Consciousness, was listed as one of No Proscenium’s Best Immersive Experiences of 2023, given a 2024 No Pro Editor’s award for Special Recognition for Merging Technology & Immersive Performance, nominated for Outstanding Remote Experience and Reader’s Special Award, and won the 2023 Young-Howze Theatre Award for Immersive Production of the Year.
  
  labRats, the show you're hopefully about to reserve a ticket for, was the featured showcase winner at NarraScope 2025, winner of the 2026 IndieCade Live Action Spotlight award, 2026 AMAZE./Berlin nominee, and featured at the 2026 GDC Experimental Games Showcase and Playable Theatre Symposium.

What People Have Said...

“This was a joyous and innovative guided exploration of community building in real time. My fellow rats and I bonded quickly and were ready to revolt and share information and resources early on. The chat was friendly, supportive, and invested. It was an absolute delight.”
- Sarah G.

“Once again, cirqueSaw delivers a handcrafted, accessible experience that’s cooperative, charming, and thought-provoking….labRats’ expansive laboratory is an absolute pleasure to explore...Every interaction produces a delightful, rewarding surprise that warrants attending multiple performances.”
- No Proscenium

“Wholly engaging, fast-paced but free-form, fun, funny and unique. I’ve never experienced anything quite like this before.”
- Helen C.

“When it ended, I felt like I wanted to experience more with these same strangers.”
- Matt B.

"labRats created such a fun, enjoyable experience which exemplifies what the internet was meant for...I haven't had this much fun in a thought provoking way in quite a while. Looking forward to the next iterations."
- Lucas J.