Casting announced for European premiere of FAT HAM at RSC
Full casting has been announced for the European premiere of Fat Ham by James Ijames, which plays at the RSC’s Swan Theatre from 15 August-13 September.
Winner of the Pulitzer Prize for Drama, and nominated for five TONY awards (including Best Play and Best Direction of a Play), Fat Ham is a comic tragedy, and a compelling examination of love and loss, pain and joy.
Juicy is a queer college kid from the American South, already grappling with some serious questions of identity. His uncle, Rev, has just married his mother, when the ghost of his father shows up at a family barbecue, claiming that Rev had him killed, and demanding that Juicy avenge his murder. Reminiscent of Shakespeare’s Hamlet, the story may be familiar, but what’s different is Juicy himself, a sensitive and self-aware young Black man trying to break the cycles of trauma and violence in service of his own liberation.
The cast includes Olisa Odele (Big Boys, Channel 4) as Juicy, Andi Osho (The Miser, West End) as Juicy’s mother, Tedra, and Sule Rimi (Blues For An Alabama Sky, National Theatre) who plays the dual role of Juicy’s father, Pap, and uncle, Rev, with Jasmine Elcock as Opal, Denver-Isaac Kwashe (off-stage understudy), Sandra Marvin as Rabby, Richard McIver (off-stage understudy), Corey Montague-Sholay as Larry, Florence Odumosu (off-stage understudy), and Kieran Taylor-Ford as Tio.
Writer James Ijames said: “I am thrilled to have my play premiere at the RSC! I’ve loved Shakespeare since I was very young and have watched the great actors of the RSC my whole life. This is a dream of a moment! Stratford is the perfect place to bring Fat Ham and with an absolutely superlative cast. They are just astonishing y’all! I can’t wait for audiences to meet the play - I hope it brings a lot of people joy!”
The creative team comprises original director Saheem Ali, director Sideeq Heard, set designer Maruti Evans, costume designer Dominique Fawn Hill, lighting designer Bradley King, sound designer Mikaal Sulaiman, choreographer Darrell Grand Moultrie, hair and wig designer Earon Chew Nealey, illusions designer Skylar Fox, original fight director Lisa Kopitsky, and casting director Christopher Worrall CDG.