Eating disorders are more than a personal struggle. Rather, as explored by Charlie Traisman & Mākena Miller’s 3HAMS, it also frames and shapes relationships with those around you – for better or for worse. A peculiar slice of theatre with a hard-hitting underlying theme, 3HAMS can’t always nail the tone but remains a compelling performance whatever it decides to throw (sometimes literally) at you next. 

Max and Ry, whose friendship is based primarily on their shared experience of eating disorders, find themselves trapped in their collective brain with only a mysterious ham for company. It is within their brain that they confront one another about the basis of their relationship. They also engage in a variety of skits and sketches that take a more unusual approach to the matter at hand. Not all of the sketches get a rouse from the crowd, seeming sometimes at odds with the messaging of the show. But it demonstrates a keen sense of creativity and strong awareness of the subject matter that still makes them worthwhile watches in their own right. 

Where 3HAMS really soars is in the conflict between its two protagonists. Max and Ry have very different perspectives on the matter at hand. How they relate to one another and to their own bodies eventually sends them towards a very frank and difficult confrontation, one that lays bare the impact eating disorders can have on a person. Whether it does the right thing in trying to unburden itself of its more peculiar edge is a matter of opinion; you may appreciate it, or you may wish for something even more out there. But in any case, this is a powerfully written and performed play. 

3HAMS is a funny and moving play in equal measure that just doesn’t quite strike a fluid balance between its sincerity and absurdity. It features two striking lead performances and makes for essential viewing for anybody wanting a perspective on just what relating to others (and yourself) with an eating disorder can be like. 

3HAMS is at Just the Tonic at The Mash Hmouse – Just the Cask Room until Sun 25 Aug 2024 at 14:25