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Alan (the Consulting Librarian) Teder's Reviews > Fat Ham
Fat Ham
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by
Alan (the Consulting Librarian) Teder's review
bookshelves: 2025-reading-challenges, comedy-fiction, adapted-from-a-play, adaptation-of-shakespeare, theatre-seen-and-read
Mar 19, 2025
bookshelves: 2025-reading-challenges, comedy-fiction, adapted-from-a-play, adaptation-of-shakespeare, theatre-seen-and-read
A Thicc Hamlet
A review of the Theater Communications Group paperback (2023).
I recently saw a Toronto production of Fat Ham and, as per usual, I wanted to read the playscript to see how much the stage diverged from the page. Really there wasn't that much difference. This is an often silly and over the top piece, but which still loosely adheres to its original inspiration while at the same time using it as a vehicle for coming out queer and for every human's need for self-expression. For those familiar with the original, much of the fun comes from spotting the easter eggs besides the obvious character parallels.
The only major changes I noticed was in the karaoke 🎤 scenes. The mother Tedra (the Queen Gertrude character) sings Crystal Waters' 100% Pure Love in the script. On stage we saw a performance of Taylor Dane's Tell It To My Heart which included the lyrics projected as surtitles over the stage, inviting the audience to sing along. Sadly most of us didn't know it well enough to risk it 😅.
That was followed by Juicy (the Hamlet character) singing Radiohead's Creep which IS in the script. But added in the stage version Opal (the Ophelia character) does a head-banging, whip-your-hair fan freakout while Juicy sings, including a cartwheel 🤸🏻♀�. The audience was roaring along to that 🤣.
Promotional poster for the recent Canadian Stage production of "Fat Ham". Image sourced from .
The scene setting is changed to a Black American family's backyard barbecue in the Southern U.S. instead of a castle in Denmark. The celebration is for Tedra and Rev's (the King Claudius character portrayed by an actor who also doubles as the Ghost character) wedding. Juicy's friend Tio (the Horatio character) provides comic relief. Church lady Rabby (the Polonius character) attends the party along with her children Opal and Larry (the Laertes character). And no, the ending is not as tragic as the original.
This might read as a 3-star on the page, but knowing and seeing its potential brought alive on stage I have no hesitation in calling it a 4-star.
The cast of the Toronto production of "Fat Ham" at curtain call. Image sourced from own photo.
Soundtrack
On YouTube listen to and watch the videos of Crystal Waters' 100% Pure Love , Taylor Dane's Tell It To My Heart and Radiohead's Creep .
A review of the Theater Communications Group paperback (2023).
GERTRUDE: He’s fat, and scant of breath. - Queen Gertrude comments on her son Hamlet in William Shakespeare's Hamlet Act V Scene 2.
I recently saw a Toronto production of Fat Ham and, as per usual, I wanted to read the playscript to see how much the stage diverged from the page. Really there wasn't that much difference. This is an often silly and over the top piece, but which still loosely adheres to its original inspiration while at the same time using it as a vehicle for coming out queer and for every human's need for self-expression. For those familiar with the original, much of the fun comes from spotting the easter eggs besides the obvious character parallels.
The only major changes I noticed was in the karaoke 🎤 scenes. The mother Tedra (the Queen Gertrude character) sings Crystal Waters' 100% Pure Love in the script. On stage we saw a performance of Taylor Dane's Tell It To My Heart which included the lyrics projected as surtitles over the stage, inviting the audience to sing along. Sadly most of us didn't know it well enough to risk it 😅.
That was followed by Juicy (the Hamlet character) singing Radiohead's Creep which IS in the script. But added in the stage version Opal (the Ophelia character) does a head-banging, whip-your-hair fan freakout while Juicy sings, including a cartwheel 🤸🏻♀�. The audience was roaring along to that 🤣.
Promotional poster for the recent Canadian Stage production of "Fat Ham". Image sourced from .
The scene setting is changed to a Black American family's backyard barbecue in the Southern U.S. instead of a castle in Denmark. The celebration is for Tedra and Rev's (the King Claudius character portrayed by an actor who also doubles as the Ghost character) wedding. Juicy's friend Tio (the Horatio character) provides comic relief. Church lady Rabby (the Polonius character) attends the party along with her children Opal and Larry (the Laertes character). And no, the ending is not as tragic as the original.
This might read as a 3-star on the page, but knowing and seeing its potential brought alive on stage I have no hesitation in calling it a 4-star.
The cast of the Toronto production of "Fat Ham" at curtain call. Image sourced from own photo.
Soundtrack
On YouTube listen to and watch the videos of Crystal Waters' 100% Pure Love , Taylor Dane's Tell It To My Heart and Radiohead's Creep .
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Fat Ham.
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Reading Progress
March 17, 2025
–
Started Reading
March 17, 2025
– Shelved
March 19, 2025
–
99.0%
March 19, 2025
–
Finished Reading
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How cool you saw the production! I'm glad that experience elevated the play script for you! A wonderful review Alan 🌟 I need to look up where this is playing!!! 😁
Berengaria wrote: "Another report straight from the front row of the Toronto theatre scene!! (metaphorically speaking, looks like you were further back)Always a delight, Alan. Indeed, quite often the performance bri..."
Thank you Berengaria! I forgot to mention that it is definitely written for all-POC casting and there was an element of urban dialect involved, although everything was understandable in context. The single word I looked up in Urban Dictionary was "suga" and the appropriate definition wasn't even listed. In the play's context it was referred to as if it was a disease, so I took it as being "sugar" and the disease as diabetes.
Tina wrote: "How cool you saw the production! I'm glad that experience elevated the play script for you! A wonderful review Alan 🌟 I need to look up where this is playing!!! 😁"Thank you Tina! The show was at the Berkeley St. Theatre down near the Distillery District and it ran from February 15 to March 16, 2025. I saw the final day performance.
I was wondering if it was at the Berkeley! Well too bad I missed it. I hope to catch another production there then! Thanks Alan 😊
Always a delight, Alan. Indeed, quite often the performance brings out what one can't see on the page. 👏 And it looks as if the entire ensemble were actors of colour. That adds a second layer of meaning over the idea.