Rehearsal photos released for Pulitzer Prize-winning Fat Ham at the RSC

Exclusive: The Royal Shakespeare Company has revealed new photographs from inside the rehearsal room of Fat Ham by James Ijames.

Directed for the Swan Theatre by Sideeq Heard, with original direction by Saheem Ali, the European premiere of the Pulitzer Prize-winning production runs in Stratford-upon-Avon from 15 August to 13 September, produced in association with No Guarantees Productions, Public Theater Productions and Rashad V Chambers.

Inspired by Hamlet, Fat Ham follows Juicy, a queer college student from the American South, whose life is upended at a family barbecue when the ghost of his father urges him to avenge his death.

The full company features Jasmine Elcock (Opal), Denver-Isaac Kwashe (off-stage understudy), Sandra Marvin (Rabby), Richard McIver (off-stage understudy), Corey Montague-Sholay (Larry), Olisa Odele (Juicy), Florence Odumosu (off-stage understudy), Andi Osho (Tedra), Sule Rimi (Rev/Pap) and Kieran Taylor-Ford (Tio).

The production features set design by Maruti Evans, costume design by Dominique Fawn Hill, lighting design by Bradley King, sound design by Mikaal Sulaiman, choreography by Darrell Grand Moultrie, hair and wig design by Earon Chew Nealey, illusions by Skylar Fox, original fight direction by Lisa Kopitsky, and casting by Christopher Worrall.

Audio described, captioned, and chilled performances will be available, and a post-show talk is scheduled for 9 September.

WhatsOnStage had an exclusive chat with the RSC’s co-artistic directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey – which you can listen to here – other streaming platforms are available here:

The show was announced as part of the company’s brand-new season.