Chicago Tribune
- Recommended
"...“Fat Ham” is asking, for whom now is the traditional tragedy? And, as Arthur Miller did years before in “Death of a Salesman,” Ijames is making a case for representative magnitude, or a more democratic take on what personal situations deserve our focus. There are many Juicys out there, “Fat Ham” argues, and Hamlet, for all his fame, was just a prince with privilege. And mental health struggles should not be reduced to a mere theatrical plot point. In this play, Juicy is not on some grand quest as much as he’s trying to figure out what it means to avenge a father you never much liked in the first place."
Chicago Sun Times
- Highly Recommended
"...The wild, ultra-clever, often hilarious mashup of high and low art that is James Ijames’ 2022 Pulitzer Prize-winning play “Fat Ham” arrives at the Goodman Theatre, in partnership with Definition Theater, to take a stand that the theatrical form can be many seemingly opposite things at once — vulgar and poetic, chaotic and carefully constructed, satirical and sincere — as long as it’s robustly entertaining."
Daily Herald
- Highly Recommended
"...The excellent Chicago premiere marks the latest collaboration between Goodman and Definition theaters. Helmed by Definition artistic director Tyrone Phillips, it's a smart, spirited, superbly acted revival whose message about choosing pleasure over harm bears repeating."
Chicago Reader
- Highly Recommended
"...Hamlet never goes out of style, but we seem to have been blessed with an abundance of interpretations over the past year. There was Eddie Izzard's solo turn at Chicago Shakes last April; Teatro Tariakuri's Destinos production this fall of El Pielago de las Calamidades by Alejandro Licona, which focused on the hapless traveling players; and Robert Lepage and Guillaume Côte's dance version at the Harris in November. But for sheer flip-the-script audacity, James Ijames's Fat Ham (winner of the 2022 Pulitzer Prize for drama) sets the table for one of the funniest and most thought-provoking takes yet."
Let's Play Theatrical Reviews
- Recommended
"...Just like Hamlet, it can be somewhat confusing to follow the obscurities and complex characters and understand the parallels between Fat Ham and Hamlet, even if you saw them performed together. Still, Ijames' unique parallel is captivatingly entertaining while delivering a powerful message. It would be a tragedy if you missed it."
Around The Town Chicago
- Recommended
"...Most theater-goers are familiar with Shakespeare’s “Hamlet” a dealing with revenge, madness ,tragedy and power. For those who are unfamiliar, it is the story of Hamlet’s father’s death and his mother then marrying his uncle ( father’s brother). This was written a long time ago, and for the most part is a sad story. Play it forward to today. James IJames modern version of this classic brings us to current times and his Award winning version of the story called “Fat Ham”."
Chicago Theatre Review
- Highly Recommended
"...Audiences in search of a funny, unusual and new evening of theatre will relish James Ijames’ humorous and heartbreaking FAT HAM. Theatergoers need not be familiar with the Shakespearean plot that provides the essence of HAMLET in this superb comic drama. Skillfully brought to life by a seven-member company of gifted actors, and dynamically Directed by Tyrone Philips, this hour-and-a-half of hilarity is guaranteed to warm up a cold winter evening."
Buzz Center Stage
- Highly Recommended
"...James Ijames' Pulitzer Prize-winning play, Fat Ham, bursts onto the Goodman Theatre stage in a vibrant, deeply resonant co-production with Definition Theatre. Directed with an expert hand by Definition Theatre's Artistic Director Tyrone Phillips, this contemporary reinvention of Hamlet dazzles with humor, heart, and a profound exploration of identity, toxic masculinity, and generational burdens."
Third Coast Review
- Recommended
"...Fat Ham, the prize-winning play by James Ijames, is now on stage at Goodman Theatre in a co-production with Definition Theatre. Ijames' script was inspired by Shakespeare's Hamlet and incorporates some of the original's plot points (such as murder followed too soon by marriage and Hamlet's personality problems). The production, deftly directed by Tyrone Phillips, creates a rousing Southern backyard barbecue with plenty of humor and sass and a frisky musical conclusion that replaces the bloody climax of the original."
MaraTapp.org
- Highly Recommended
"...Treat yourself to this dramatic gift of words and ideas, this updated Shakespeare that honors the original and does what art should by reinventing a classic and giving us much more to wrestle with and think about. Best of all, while we are thinking, it makes us laugh and we all need that."
Chicago Culture Authority
- Highly Recommended
"...The questions of claiming and embracing your identity, of navigating familial strife, of figuring out where your love and loyalty lie, those are all weighty and sometimes tragic. But, oh man is this production directed by Tyrone Phillips funny, from Ronald L. Conner's zesty dual performance as the wrathful spirit of Pap and the usurping Rev who had his brother killed in prison, to the scene-snatching E. Faye Butler as family friend Rabby who gets off the best line of the night when she exclaims about Juicy, "He goes to school on a cell phone!""
Splash Magazine
- Recommended
"...Fat Ham by James Ijames, is a riotous pairing of modern life and Shakespearian notions of tragedy. More specifically, it is a very loose retelling of Hamlet set in a backyard Barbeque with most of the characters (all of whom are African-American with many of them also Queer) yearning to be someone else."
Allie and the After Party
- Highly Recommended
"...Even though it's condensed from a three hour play, Fat Ham still hits the marks of Hamlet that people who know and love Shakespeare will appreciate. You'll get the references and enjoy the parallels the playwright has created. However, if you're not a fan of Hamlet or Shakespeare, Fat Ham makes Hamlet accessible and still makes for an energetic and thought provoking show exploring self, sexuality, and community."
BroadwayWorld
- Highly Recommended
"...But this is no mere straightforward adaptation; Ijames's script and this production are at their most brilliant when they break Shakespeare's mold, focusing on the themes and questions most pertinent to American Black life. Instead of monologues questioning the existence of purgatory, Juicy wonders if the cycles of intergenerational Black trauma can ever be broken. Instead of Ophelia's madness over Hamlet's rejection, her counterpart Opal (a delightfully fierce Ireon Roach) rejects patriarchal standards of dress and attitude to assert her independence."
