"Fat Ham" is a Hilarious, Tender, and Thoughtful Romp

What happens when you take Shakespeare’s Hamlet, alter and update a few details, and set it at a modern day barbecue? In the case of James Ijames’ Pulitzer-winning play, Fat Ham, directed by Jade King Carroll and onstage now through PlayMakers Repertory Company, the result is something hilarious, refreshing, and contemplative. 

The story, which centers around young Juicy (Heinley Gaspard), is set in an unnamed but distinctly Southern town in North Carolina and features a fully North Carolina-based creative team and cast. The characters’ familiar world is brought to life with Jan Chambers' impressive, well-designed set. Featuring a functional house, an eclectically-decorated yard, the greenest grass, and a full grill, it instantly transports viewers to the tension-filled barbecue.

That tension results from the fact that Juicy has recently lost his father, and his mother, Tedra (Rasool Jahan), has chosen to “replace” him by marrying his brother, Rev. Samuel Ray Gates does double duty portraying both the aforementioned father, Pap, who appears to Juicy in ghost-form and asks him to avenge his death, and Rev. But, luckily, Juicy knows the story of Hamlet well and uses his knowledge to try and change the plight of all involved.

The outcome isn’t all that this play attempts to change either. Ijames' smart script takes an up-close-and-personal look at family dynamics, sexuality, and the difficulty involved in breaking generational cycles. And, if all of that sounds heavy, it is. Yet, this show never feels weighed down or overbearing. Instead, it zips along at a smooth 90 minutes and carefully infuses humor and light into a story rife with tough topics.

Much of that humor comes from Ijames’ whiplash-fast dialogue, but Juicy’s friend, Tio, hilariously portrayed by a charming Nate John Mark, dishes up more than his fair share of the laughs. Mark’s comedic timing is always perfect. He delivers lines at just the right time and with just the right cadence to slice through tension without negating the story’s depth. However, he’s just one part of a powerhouse cast. Gaspard makes for a relatable, sympathetic lead, while Gates’ commanding presence adds intensity and strikes fear at all the right moments. 

Later in the story, viewers also get to meet Larry (Jamar Jones) and his sister Opal (Mengwe Wapimewah), two young people who, like Juicy, are trying to change the world they’ve found themselves in and their future fates. Both deliver compelling performances as they face off against their overbearing mother, Rabby, effectively and believably portrayed by Kathryn Hunter-Williams.

As the characters’ modern dialogue melds with Shakespeare’s famed words, Carrol’s crystal-clear direction and smooth pacing keep viewers fully immersed in this wall-breaking world where anything can happen. And, while it wouldn’t be fair to spoil the ending, suffice it to say that viewers will hang on every word and every action until the end. What they’ll be left with as this anxious, funny ride comes to a close is the idea that the world as they know it is always moving forward. It’s up to them--just as it’s up to these characters--to choose what they do with that forward momentum. Hopeful, uplifting, and as tender and tragic as slow-cooked pork, Fat Ham exemplifies the kind of forward-thinking, original, and engaging theater we could all use a second (or third) helping of.