Full casting is announced for the European premiere of Fat Ham by James Ijames. 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.

Originally co-produced off-Broadway by The Public Theater and National Black Theatre, this production runs in the Swan Theatre, Stratford-upon-Avon between Friday 15 August - Saturday 13 September.  Original Direction by Saheem Ali, directed for the Swan Theatre by Sideeq Heard.

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.

Talking about the play, 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!”

Olisa Odele makes his RSC debut to play Juicy.  Olisa is best known for his breakout role of Ola in Michaela Coel’s Chewing Gum, and for playing the role of Yemi in all three series of Big Boys, Channel 4’s coming-of-age drama.  His other TV work includes Russell T Davies’ It’s a Sin; Am I Being Unreasonable?; Scarborough and My Parents are Aliens. Theatre work includes: The Hot Wing King (National Theatre); Crongton Knights(UK tour) and Porgy and Bess (Savoy Theatre).

Also making their RSC debuts are Andi Osho and Sule Rimi. Andi plays Juicy’s mother, Tedra; and Sule plays the dual role of Juicy’s father, Pap, and uncle, Rev.

Andi Osho is an actor and writer. Her other theatre credits include: The Miser (Garrick Theatre), The Fall of New Labour (Arts Theatre), Yellowman (Liverpool Everyman) and Breakfast with Mugabe (Theatre Royal, Bath). TV credits include:  Blue Lights, Line of Duty, Sex Education, I May Destroy You and The Sandman. 

Andi performed stand-up comedy for ten years appearing on Mock The Week, Never Mind The Buzzcocks and Live at the Apollo. As a writer, her novels include Asking for a Friend, Tough Crowd and Most Wanted.

Sule Rimi was nominated for an Olivier Award for his role in Blues For An Alabama Sky (National Theatre). Other theatre credits include: Three Sisters and Barber Shop Chronicles (National Theatre), The Purists (Kiln Theatre), Force Majeure (Donmar Warehouse), Sweat (Donmar Warehouse/Gielgud), Jitney (Leeds Playhouse/Old Vic), and All My Sons and American Clock (Old Vic). TV credits include: Day of The Jackal, Foundation, Dr. Who, Andor, Grace, Classified, Manhunt and The English.

The full company comprises: 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).