Hamlet goes to a barbecue and 'Fat Ham' goes to town at the Huntington

What happens when you reimagine “Hamlet” through the lens of a Black family’s fraught backyard barbecue?

In the hands of playwright James Ijames, the story becomes "Fat Ham," a hilarious and thought-provoking nod to “that old white dude’s tragedy” while shifting the focus to become a tale of family, identity and forgiveness. It’s an inspired approach, which earned Ijames the Pulitzer Prize. And in this terrific Huntington/Alliance Theatre/Front Porch Arts Collective co-production at the Calderwood Pavilion, the beauty of Ijames’ storytelling and dialogue are brought to vivid life by director Stevie Walker-Webb, his outstanding ensemble and his equally outstanding production team. No detail is missed in this always-engaging production, which explores Shakespearean dark themes, but in a mode closer to Dave Chappelle than the other guy.

“Fat Ham” opens with Tio (Lau’rie Roach) loafing while Juicy (Marshall W. Mabry) disconsolately decorates his backyard to celebrate his mother’s remarriage to his uncle just a week after his father’s death. Within moments, the ghost of Juicy’s father Pap (James T. Alfred) appears, first visible to Tio and then to Juicy, demanding Juicy avenge his murder. But Juicy is “soft,” and his uncertainty about committing violence against his uncle is complicated by his feelings for his father – "Fathers and sons,” says Tio, “it can get dark.” Juicy is also conflicted about taking over the family barbecue business since he doesn’t feel he belongs. Mabry’s portrayal combines sensitivity and empathy with stubborn determination, but his karaoke rendition of Radiohead’s “Creep” is an emotional tour de force.

Ijames sets the stage with these familiar Shakespearean characters and storylines, and then beautifully makes them his own.

Some of the most affecting moments deepen our understanding of characters we thought we knew, while bringing them into 2023 with rapid-fire dialogue, references and conflicts familiar to any family. Ijames revises Hamlet’s soliloquies to fit his needs until he gets to “What a piece of work is man,” as Juicy wonders why “grown feels lonely and confused.”

Opal (a luminous Victoria Omoregie) and Juicy are friends who grew up together, and Opal captures their feeling that they are on the cusp of something great but are being held back. Later, when Opal tells Juicy he needs to get out, her admission that she doesn’t have as many options is heartbreaking.
Juicy’s mother Tedra (Ebony Marshall-Oliver) also gets more space than Shakespeare’s Gertrude to talk about her needs, the sacrifices she’s made and her love for her son. Her karaoke rendition of Salt-N-Pepa’s “Whatta Man” brought down the house. But also, watch her wordless reactions to her son and her new husband’s demands – they speak volumes.

Alfred, playing both Juicy’s father Pap and his new stepdad Rev, delivers both roles with a kind of kinetic energy that lifts the room every time he’s onstage. Whether Pap’s dismissing his dream of a career in human resources with “who goes to college online to learn how to manage human beings?” or as Rev, humiliating Juicy with a sucker punch to the gut, their tendency toward violence and bullying is unmistakable.

“It’s inherited trauma,” says Tio, our stand-in for “Hamlet’s” Horatio, the outside observer, who balances Juicy’s empathetic nature with a more pragmatic approach to life. Tio in fact, becomes the conscience of this play, stepping in and out of the action at precisely the right moments. Roach is a wonder to behold, his rubbery body and wide range of reactions informing his moves for a potential career in porn videos or reacting to the family meltdown while munching on a huge bowl of food.

But every member of this ensemble brings an astonishing physicality to their roles. Whether it’s Opal’s mother Rabby (Thomika Marie Bridwell), with her practiced “church lady” moves, or Opal’s brother Larry, literally buttoned up in his Marine Corps uniform, trying to hold it together as he deals with post-traumatic stress and his own secret.

Director Walker-Webb creates a captivating rhythm and pace for this production that keeps up with Ijames’ banter but never mutes the emotional undercurrent. He elicits super performances from every member of the company, and with choreographer PJ Johnnie, Jr. the action flows effortlessly.

No moment is left to chance. Just watch Juicy crouch behind the backyard gate, only to be revealed a few minutes later; keep an eye on that screen that everyone passes in and out of like a theatrical curtain; and don’t miss the ghost’s spooky appearance in the smoker (kudos to Illusions designer Evan Northrup). Then watch the actors use everything within reach to make this world real: Tedra pointing the ketchup squirt bottle to make her points, Tio sprinkling a corpse with lettuce, Rabby downing a shot, or shots, as needed
But Walker-Webb’s design team is also meticulous about other details. Celeste Jennings’ costume designs are truly inspired — note Tedra’s romper; Juicy’s hooded cape and Tupac t-shirt; and, oh, the way Omoregie wrestles that asymmetrical hem in Opal’s flowered spaghetti-strap dress. Luciana Stecconi’s realistic set anchors all the action, and Xiangfu Xiao’s lighting creates pockets of magic in the midst of the mayhem.

Does Ijames defy Shakespeare’s tragic trajectory? It would be unfair to give the ending away, but you might leave considering “what your life would be like if you chose pleasure over harm." As you’re dancing out of the theater.

“Fat Ham,” presented by the Huntington Theatre Company in association with Alliance Theatre and Front Porch Arts Collective, continues at the Wimberly Theatre, Calderwood Pavilion, through Oct. 29.