Ham review – vegan take on Hamlet delivers meaty rebuke to carnivores

The theatrical production "Ham," currently showing at Summerhall in Edinburgh, presents a bold and unconventional vegan interpretation of William Shakespeare's iconic tragedy, "Hamlet." This innovative show, conceived and performed by Mary Higgins and Ell Potter, reframes the Danish prince's tale of revenge and existential angst to confront what it posits as an even more pressing threat: the meat industry's profound impact on the planet's future and human survival. The performance art piece is described as "riotous parody" and "outrageous, confrontational performance-activism," skillfully blending "hoot-out-loud comedy" with a palpable sense of "world-ending dread."

At its core, "Ham" transposes the familiar narrative of "Hamlet" from a personal quest for vengeance to a broader ecological crisis. Mary Higgins embodies a vegan protagonist, akin to Hamlet, who is driven to seek retribution not for a murdered father, but for a "poor, slaughtered, strangely seductive pig." This central figure aims to persuade her co-performer, Ell Potter, who is playfully nicknamed "the sausage queen" by her father, to abandon her meat-eating ways and embrace veganism. Potter's multifaceted role is particularly noteworthy, as she embodies both the spectral "ghost" of the pig, serving as the catalyst for Higgins's character's mission, and Gertrude, Hamlet's mother. In this adaptation, Gertrude's perception of her son's pronouncements as madness underscores the play's theme of societal blindness to inconvenient truths.

The production's creators, Higgins and Potter, are not only the minds behind the show but also its performers, directly embodying the central conflict between veganism and traditional meat consumption. The play's inventive approach layers Shakespearean themes of betrayal, madness, and mortality onto the urgent contemporary issues of climate change and sustainable living, directly linking the existential questions posed in "Hamlet" to the future viability of humanity. The pig, presented as "strangely seductive," adds a surreal and thought-provoking dimension to the activist message, challenging the audience's perceptions of animal life and consumption.

"Ham" is being presented at Summerhall, a venue known for hosting experimental and boundary-pushing theatre, as part of the Edinburgh Festival. This renowned annual event, a global hub for performing arts, provides a significant platform for such socially conscious productions. The review highlights the show's ability to provoke guilt and reflection in its audience, urging them to consider their dietary choices and their wider environmental consequences. The performance style is characterized as both "suave and silly," suggesting a dynamic and engaging presentation that avoids didacticism while still delivering a powerful critique. The show runs until August 30th, offering audiences a unique and challenging theatrical experience that reimagines a classic for the Anthropocene.