Fat Ham” Examines Family Relationships, Comedy and Tragedy in a Southern Shakespearean Tale
May 25, 2026 by Michelle Kenyon ("Snoop")
Review of “Fat Ham” at The Black Rep By Gerry Kowarsky, HEC
James Ijames set the right expectations when he gave the name “Fat Ham” to his adaptation of “Hamlet.” Ijames’ Pulitzer Prize–winning play is as cheeky as its title. The Black Rep is at its best in the current production of “Fat Ham,” which builds an uproarious comedy on the foundation of Shakespeare’s tragedy.
The play is set in the backyard of a house in North Carolina. The occasion is a barbecue to celebrate the marriage of Rev to Tedra, whose first husband, Pap, was stabbed to death in prison only a week before the wedding. This situation mirrors the circumstances at the start of “Hamlet,” where Hamlet’s uncle, Claudius, has married Queen Gertrude, his dead brother’s widow, less than two months after the old king’s death.
Does Hamlet have to be a tragedy? Is Fat Ham a rehash of Hamlet or a commentary? What do the timeless themes of Shakespeare’s legendary play have to do with life in the modern American South? How much say do people have in how their own lives play out or parallel famous tragedies, even in a “meta” show with copious fourth-wall breaking and examinations of important, recurrent themes in life, death, and family relationships? These are some fascinating questions raised by playwright James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize-winning play that’s now onstage in St. Louis at the Black Rep, in a dynamic production that brings many thoughts to ponder, as well as a surprising amount of laughter.
The Outrageously Hilarious FAT HAM Opens at The Black Rep
What did our critic think of FAT Ham at The Black Rep?
By: James Lindhorst May. 23, 2026
The extended run at The Public opened to critical acclaim on May 12, 2022, and ran through July 31 before transferring to Broadway in 2023 for a limited run. The Broadway run was also extended due to box office demand.
Fat Ham was nominated for five Tony awards, including Best Play and Best Direction of a Play. Playwright James Ijames won the Outer Critic’s Circle’s John Gassner Award that celebrates an Outstanding New American Play. Fat Ham was also honored with Dorian Awards for Outstanding Broadway Play and as an Outstanding LBGTQ Broadway Production. It was also awarded the Lamda Literary Award for Drama.
At the Black Rep Geovonday Jones has constructed a perfectly paced comedic family drama. His direction of the Hamlet inspired story, set against a backyard barbecue, is peppered with spirited performances and sauced with plenty of laughs.