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Lab Rats Collective presents a surreal immersive theatre experience, Fish in a Kettle, set in 2050 inside a house party that won’t stop. It takes place in Liverpool being battered by waves and engulfed by tides, in a gathering where fish, people and everything in between collide. In this devised show, audience members move through the party and choose who to follow, watching a series of shifting predictions as the hosts explore what is probable and what is possible in the future.
This strange and voyeuristic experience floats between theatre, scientific research and the voices of Merseyside, while challenging audiences to hold darkness and hope at the same time.
The show imagines the city of Liverpool, either boiling or slowly being swallowed by the sea in an urgent reckoning with the future. It was developed in collaboration with marine scientist Dr Marta Payo Payo from the National Oceanography Centre in Liverpool, whose research shapes the work.
Fish in a Kettle questions the audience’s complicity by looking at our denial, acceptance and response. It promises a sensory experience, playing with movement-based imagery and sound. Audiences experience different versions of the future from inside the same night.
The party is uncomfortable and seductive, while asking: will we sink or swim?
Fish in a Kettle was created by Co-Artistic Leads of Lab Rats Collective, Kate Taylor Hunter and Anita Brokmeier, who also appear as performers in the show. Kate Taylor Hunter (RATKING, Lab Rats Collective) will play Penelope, Anita Brokmeier (The Silence That Follows, The Hope Theatre) will play Coral and Felipe Jara (RATKING, Lab Rats Collective) will play Sal. Together, these three personify various dimensions of the Ocean.
An oracle figure, Ringo is observing, framing and resetting the system throughout the evening. Ringo will be performed by Ellena Begley (Dinosaur World Live, UK/European Tour). Co-Artistic Leads Kate Taylor Hunter and Anita Brokmeier comment, We make work that is political and says something big about the world we are living in. We are passionate about the planet and the many intersecting issues that are shaping our world. but we also want to make theatre that is fun, playful, and genuinely entertaining. Too often, conversations about climate can feel heavy or overwhelming, and we’re interested in finding a different. Why can’t we engage with these issues but still have a great night out at the theatre?
Title Fish in a Kettle
Date Monday 25th May – Saturday 30th May 2026
Location Fabric Studios, 3 Constance Street, Liverpool L3 8AN
Box Office https://www.tickettailor.com/events/labrats1/2129626
Price: £15
Running Time 60 Minutes
Guidance 16+, flashing lights, loud sounds, depictions of sex and violence
Cast
Sal Felipe Jara
Penelope Kate Taylor Hunter
Coral Anita Brokmeier
Ringo Ellena Begley
CreativesCo-Artistic Lead & Devisor Kate Taylor Hunter
Co-Artistic Lead & Devisor Anita Brokmeier
Devisor Felipe Jara
Website https://labratstheatre.com/