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

- URL: https://talkfuse.com/story/ham-review-vegan-take-on-hamlet-delivers-meaty-rebuke-to-carnivores/
- Published: 2026-08-13T14:08:39+00:00
- Updated: 2026-08-13T14:33:27+00:00
- Original publisher: The Guardian (publisher lean: Left)
- Original article: https://www.theguardian.com/stage/2026/aug/13/ham-review-summerhall-edinburgh-vegan-hamlet-meat-industry
- Topics: Americas, Art, Celebrity, Culture, Entertainment, World

## Key points

- A vegan Hamlet parody targets meat consumption’s climate impact.
- Comedy balances confrontational activism and disturbing imagery.
- The production runs at Summerhall until 30 August.

## Summary

Ham is a riotous Edinburgh festival parody of Hamlet that uses a murdered pig’s “ghost” to confront the environmental impact of meat consumption. The review finds it deliberately confrontational and occasionally preachy, but says its comedy and personal tension prevent it becoming a simple lecture, ending with a stark warning about climate-related fires.

Created and performed by vegan Mary Higgins and Ell Potter, who plays several roles including the pig’s ghost and Gertrude, the production reframes Hamlet’s questions around humanity’s survival. It combines Shakespearean jokes with naked dancing, a pet funeral, audience participation and disturbing animal-slaughter imagery; footage of fires moving from overseas to Arthur’s Seat gives its final message local urgency. Ham is at Summerhall, Edinburgh, until 30 August.

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Summarised by TalkFuse (https://talkfuse.com/). Quote the original publisher for the reporting and link this page for the summary and discussion.