''Fat Ham'' is a dramatic

stage play A play is a form of drama that primarily consists of dialogue between characters and is intended for theatrical performance rather than mere reading. The creator of a play is known as a playwright. Plays are staged at various levels, ranging ...

written by American playwright

James Ijames James Ijames () is an American playwright originally from Bessemer City, North Carolina. He received his B.A. in Drama from Morehouse College in Atlanta, Georgia, and earned his MFA in Acting from Temple University in Philadelphia, where he is ...

. It is a modern-day adaptation of

William Shakespeare William Shakespeare ( 23 April 1564 – 23 April 1616) was an English playwright, poet and actor. He is widely regarded as the greatest writer in the English language and the world's pre-eminent dramatist. He is often called England's nation ...

's ''

Hamlet ''The Tragedy of Hamlet, Prince of Denmark'', often shortened to ''Hamlet'' (), is a Shakespearean tragedy, tragedy written by William Shakespeare sometime between 1599 and 1601. It is Shakespeare's longest play. Set in Denmark, the play (the ...

.'' The play was awarded the 2022

Pulitzer Prize for Drama The Pulitzer Prize for Drama is one of the seven American Pulitzer Prizes that are annually awarded for Letters, Drama, and Music. It is one of the original Pulitzers, for the program was inaugurated in 1917 with seven prizes, four of which were a ...

and was nominated for five

Tony Awards The Antoinette Perry Award for Excellence in Broadway Theatre, more commonly known as a Tony Award, recognizes excellence in live Broadway theatre. The awards are presented by the American Theatre Wing and The Broadway League at an annual cere ...

including Best Play.

Synopsis

Juicy, a young gay black man, is confronted by the ghost of his father during a cookout, who demands that Juicy avenge his murder. Juicy, already familiar with

's plight, tries to break the cycles of trauma and violence.

Productions

The play premiered on April 23, 2021 in a filmed production for the Wilma Theater in

Philadelphia Philadelphia ( ), colloquially referred to as Philly, is the List of municipalities in Pennsylvania, most populous city in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania and the List of United States cities by population, sixth-most populous city in the Unit ...

. The digital production was available until May 23. It made its

off-Broadway An off-Broadway theatre is any professional theatre venue in New York City with a seating capacity between 100 and 499, inclusive. These theatres are smaller than Broadway theatres, but larger than off-off-Broadway theatres, which seat fewer tha ...

debut at

The Public Theater The Public Theater is an arts organization in New York City. Founded by Joseph Papp, The Public Theater was originally the Shakespeare Workshop in 1954; its mission was to support emerging playwrights and performers.Epstein, Helen. ''Joe Papp: ...

on May 12, 2022, to overwhelmingly positive reviews. The production received a Special Citation at the 66th

Obie Awards The Obie Awards or Off-Broadway Theater Awards are annual awards given since 1956 by ''The Village Voice'' newspaper to theater artists and groups involved in off-Broadway and off-off-Broadway productions in New York City. Starting just after th ...

honoring the creative team and ensemble. In 2023, the Public Theater production transferred to Broadway with the entire cast and most of the creative team intact. Previews began at the

American Airlines Theatre The Todd Haimes Theatre (previously known as the American Airlines Theatre and originally the Selwyn Theatre) is a Broadway theater at 227 West 42nd Street in the Theater District of Midtown Manhattan in New York City, New York, U.S. Built ...

on March 21, with opening night on April 12. The production once again received widespread critical acclaim and five Tony Award nominations, including Best Play and Best Director of a Play. The Broadway production was originally scheduled to have a strictly limited run through June 25, 2023. The run was extended through July 2, 2023, subsequently closing on that date. The play had its West Coast premiere in spring 2024 with a production at the

Geffen Playhouse The Geffen Playhouse is a not-for-profit theater company founded in Los Angeles, California by Gilbert Cates in 1995. It produces plays in two theaters in Geffen Playhouse, which is owned by University of California Los Angeles. The Playhous ...

, based on the Public Theater production. Sideeq Heard recreated Saheem Ali's direction, having served as Associate Director for the Broadway mounting. Most of the Broadway cast reprised their roles, with Matthew Elijah Webb taking over as Larry after understudying the role on Broadway. In June 2024 The Old Globe Theatre in San Diego, California produced the play featuring a new cast under the direction of Sideeq Heard. ''Fat Ham'' is running at the

Oregon Shakespeare Festival The Oregon Shakespeare Festival (OSF) is a regional Repertory, repertory theatre in Ashland, Oregon, United States, founded in 1935 by Angus L. Bowmer. The Festival now offers matinee and evening performances of a wide range of classic and conte ...

from March 11 to June 27, 2025, directed by Elizabeth Carter. The 2025 South Florida Premiere Production directed by T.M. Pride, runs April 4 through May 4 at Island City Stage in Wilton Manors, FL and May 16 - June 15 at GableStage in Coral Gables, FL. The play will have its UK premiere presented by the

Royal Shakespeare Company The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) is a major British theatre company, based in Stratford-upon-Avon, Warwickshire, England. The company employs over 1,000 staff and opens around 20 productions a year. The RSC plays regularly in London, Stratf ...

at the

Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon The Swan Theatre is a theatre belonging to the Royal Shakespeare Company in Stratford-upon-Avon, England. It is built on to the side of the larger Royal Shakespeare Theatre, occupying the Victorian Gothic structure that formerly housed the Sh ...

from 15 August until 13 September 2025, directed by Sideeq Heard.

Notable casts

Awards and nominations

References

External links

Official website

''Fat Ham'' at IBDB

{{PulitzerPrize Drama 2022 plays African-American plays Broadway plays LGBTQ-related plays Off-Broadway plays Plays and musicals based on Hamlet Pulitzer Prize for Drama–winning works