James Ijames faced discouragement in pursuing Shakespeare due to his southern accent during his studies. He performed only one professional Shakespeare play in ten years. His newest work, 'Fat Ham', reinterprets 'Hamlet', featuring a queer lead, Juicy, from a Black American family in North Carolina. His upbringing in a Southern Baptist church familiarized him with Elizabethan English, contradicting the belief that his accent would hinder his performance. 'Fat Ham' gained acclaim with a Pulitzer Prize and five Tony nominations and is set for its European premiere at the Royal Shakespeare Company.
James Ijames believed he could not access Shakespeare due to his southern accent, but he challenged that notion by creating 'Fat Ham', a queer take on 'Hamlet'.
Ijames's play, 'Fat Ham', incorporates themes of race, identity, and regionalism, transforming traditional Shakespearean narratives through the experiences of a Black American family.
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