Review: HAM (Soho Theatre)

Review by Seth Wilby

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

The story of Hamlet is, objectively, a classic. So it’s no surprise that its boy-avenges-father plot has been subject to ample adaptation, from the Radiohead-infused Hamlet Hail to the Thief to the decades-old Rosencrantz and Guildenstern are Dead. Yet, bafflingly, no one has yet posed the most pressing question: what if Hamlet were vegan? No one, that is, until Hotter Project with their self-described ‘kinky, eco-hijacking’ of Shakespeare’s classic.

Transferring to London from an award-winning Edinburgh Fringe run, the structure of HAM is surprisingly simple. In this stripped-back, four-character retelling of Hamlet (emphasis on the Ham), Hamlet is impelled into veganism after a visitation by the ghost of a pig, whom he chooses to avenge by staging a play that will force his mother to question “to eat or not to eat”. It’s not just a conversation-starter, but a conversation in itself, in which writer-performers Mary Higgins (a vegan) and Ell Potter (a meat-eater) parabolize the tale into artful activism guaranteed to leave an imprint on your mind and make you think about what you’re eating for your next meal. 

Structurally, the piece excels, the five-act structure allowing for a gradual build-up of harrowing catharsis, interspersed with direct addresses from Higgins and Potter that craft this into a deftly disguised community lesson (as well as providing narrative context for those unfamiliar with actual Hamlet). Each component serves a necessary purpose to the show’s wider impact- the (literally) porky puns of Act One are proven to disguise something much darker, the monologuing of Act Two reveals some disturbing statistics, Act Three directly targets the audience's hearts and minds, Act Four confronts some unsettling parallels, and, by Act Five, no words need be spoken to know what we now believe. Not even the interval provides any respite, as we sit and try to comprehend the devastating images fox-trotting around our minds.

Ursula Martinez’s sophisticated and artful direction embraces the multi-media potential of a play that’s part-script, part-speech. In her creatively dynamic staging, live video footage (underscored by Tom Foskett-Barnes’ painfully effective composition) is used to heighten the tension between scenes- disturbingly graphic footage of animal slaughter and climate-caused disasters force us to confront the difficult reality, and are cleverly collated to increase intensity throughout the piece (just as we recover from the early videos, we are delivered something far more brutal). It makes for a difficult watch (many audience members were notably squirming, or covering their eyes), but the impact achieved by generating these emotions is all the justification necessary.

Other smart and impactful directorial choices help to build up an unpatronising sense of community in the room, oftentimes embracing the theatricality to imply a certain school of thought- one notable scene sees a harshly hypnotic nude dance scene (movement direction is credited to Abbi Greenland), where our actors’ bodies are painted with the outlines of pork cuts, objectifying humankind to the extent animals are. Through visual choices like these, so much can be inferred, and it turns a clever, well-written play into something remarkably powerful.

Higgins and Potter’s writing has a clear aim. Under the veil of this Shakespearean tragedy, they seek to create meaningful change within individuals in a non-shaming way, by highlighting the awful state the world is in, and actually providing reasons to change it. Monologues on either side of the argument are well-presented and persuasive- one that stood out to me as particularly truthful was Gertrude’s speech on why she (and, by extension, all meat-eaters) was choosing to ignore Hamlet’s vegan plea. By having the two perform truthfully as a meat-eater and a vegan, we are given balance and relatability for everyone, although their performances are such that both motives are deeply understandable. Within the course of one hour, we are eloquently presented with so many justifications, from statistical to familial, that you are bound to find a way to personally connect, and the truth within this writing and performances makes it a remarkably touching watch.

Interestingly, HAM chooses to approach veganism from a slightly different angle than most, opting to focus on it from an ecological viewpoint that anyone would find hard to deny. Did you know that animal agriculture is responsible for at least 51% of annual greenhouse gas emissions worldwide? That is one of many facts projected onto the back curtain during the play, all of which allow an otherwise emotional evening to present its argument from an undeniably logical standpoint. It fuses the two often-discussed concepts of veganism and the climate crisis into one well-presented argument that is undeniably compelling and actively offers solutions (switching to a plant-based diet is the most impactful change an individual can make, we are told), making it a piece of theatre that is vigorously reactive and solution-focused.

You’d be forgiven for thinking that this lesson would quickly turn into a lecture, yet Hotter Project have excelled in making something that transforms any shame into an inspiring hope. While the opening scene seems like it could get overly preachy, these feelings are quickly dispelled into something far more comfortable. This doesn’t mean there is no shame- the fact of the matter is that any meat-eater would feel at least slightly uncomfortable when presented with these images- but, other than one prolonged interaction with an audience volunteer, which quite frankly seemed like a bit too much, it doesn’t feel like they are forcing any shame from you, instead letting it arise naturally. They understand that there are far better options than shaming you into change, and they even proffer solutions for those not fully convinced- to me, their most interesting fact was that having a vegan breakfast and lunch has a smaller carbon footprint than the average vegetarian, regardless of how you eat for dinner.

As if achieving all of this was not enough, HAM is also laugh-out-loud funny. The script is full of wit and excellently placed one-liners, with the dynamic between our two performers often generating rapturous response. Potter in particular seems to have a lot of fun with her exaggerated Gertrude, who is given a lot of the funniest lines in the whole play, particularly in her callbacks to the character’s role in the actual Hamlet. By crafting this sense of joy and hilarity in the room, it means the message is one of hope instead of pain, as well as providing a very comfortable atmosphere to introduce these lessons into.

It’s rare for a piece of theatre to affect what you have for dinner that evening. It’s also rare for a play so haunting to leave your mind buzzing not with misery but with exhilaration, amongst the tears that gently sit on your eyelids. Yet HAM achieves all of that in what is a remarkable and necessary production everyone ought to see. This is not satire. This is haunting, make-a-difference, unshameful art, grounded in humanity and truth.

Ham plays at Soho Theatre until 31st October. Tickets from https://sohotheatre.com/events/ham-2/

Photos by Jonny Ruff