Fat Ham

Running Time
1 hour, 54 minutes

Know Before You Watch

Contains adult language and content.

Fat Ham

A New York Times Critics' Pick!

by James Ijames
directed by Morgan Green

April 29 – May 23, 2021

Tickets

A witty take on Shakespeare’s Hamlet where the only death is the patriarchy.

The ghost of Juicy’s dad haunts him and asks for revenge – on Juicy’s uncle, who has now married his widowed mom. Sound familiar? Yes, but…

Fat Ham is a filmed production of an exciting new play by Wilma Co-Artistic Director James Ijames (Kill Move Paradise). It centers a Black, queer discovery of self, softness, and resilience … at a cookout in the South.

After you complete your purchase, you will be sent a link to view the recording anytime on demand from April 29 until May 23.

HILARIOUS YET PROFOUNDNew York Times [READ]

UPROARIOUSThe New Yorker [READ]

WATCH THE TRAILER

What does the Hamlet narrative look like if it’s queered, and if it’s infiltrated and taken over by people of color?Playwright James Ijames

‘Fat Ham’ was filmed on location in Virginia following strict health guidelines, in a series of long takes. One view per purchase.

REVIEWS

“UPROARIOUS” -New Yorker
“HILARIOUS YET PROFOUND … Fat Ham refuses the tropes of Black suffering even as it engages the seriousness of the Shakespeare. It is the rare takeoff that actually takes off — and then flies in its own smart direction.” -New York Times
A New Hamlet Centers Black and Queer Characters -ThINKingDANCE
“A tender and nuanced look at Black family, identity, and humanity” -Broad Street Review
“WILDLY INVENTIVE” -The Olympian

IN THE NEWS

James Ijames on ‘Fat Ham,’ the South, and Embodying the Story -Southern Review of Books
James Ijames interviewed on the Feed at Night -Fox Soul
How Philly playwright James Ijames envisioned ‘Fat Ham,’ a Black queer retelling of ‘Hamlet’ -Philadelphia Inquirer
Brennen S. Malone: Hamming It Up -Philadelphia Gay News
“Explodes the family drama at a cookout in ways I’ve never before seen onstage nor film” -Philadelphia Inquirer
Fat Ham puts a contemporary spin on Shakespeare’s classic Hamlet –6ABC
Putting a Black queer spin on Shakespeare –Philadelphia Gay News

GO BEHIND THE SCENES

DISCOUNTS AVAILABLE

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A STUDENT/INDUSTRY DISCOUNT

CLICK HERE TO REQUEST A DISCOUNT WITH YOUR PA ACCESS CARD

HAVE A WILMAPASS? REDEEM YOUR TICKETS

Current WilmaPass holders can redeem their tickets by clicking here. Please submit the form to redeem your ticket at least 48 hours before you wish to stream the show.

LEARN MORE ABOUT STREAMING

Click here to learn more about streaming our shows to your devices

INFORMATION FOR EDUCATORS

We offer discounted tickets for student groups, and our education department will provide interested teachers with resources such as our education guide and virtual post-show visits from actors. Contact Group Sales Manager Sarah Blask at sblask@wilmatheater.org for more information.

CAPTIONS & AUDIO DESCRIPTION

Closed captioning – in both English and Spanish – are available on the player for this video. An audio described version will also be available shortly.

Click here to purchase a stream to the Audio Described Version in advance. We do apologize for the delay due to production delays that this service was not available upon the initial release of Fat Ham. Please reach out to our box office at 215-546-7824 / tickets@wilmatheater.org for more information on how to watch with captioning, or to request notification when the Audio Described Version is available.

Subtítulos cerrados, tanto en inglés como en español. Traducción de Fernando Méndez. (Gracias por su paciencia mientras trabajamos para proporcionar traducciones para nuestro sitio web. Ver nuestro sitio web en Español con Google Translate.)