Backstage with Albert Igbinigie of 'Fat Ham'

There’s a new face looking to make waves in the Austin theater scene, and his name is Albert Igbinigie — an emerging talent with roots in Nashville, a degree from Texas State University, and a fire for storytelling that’s both personal and profound.

Igbinigie’s journey to the stage of Austin Playhouse is a perfect mix of timing, talent, and trust. Just weeks after tossing his graduation cap in San Marcos, he landed the lead role in Fat Ham, James Ijames’s Pulitzer Prize–winning play, a reimagining of Hamlet that blends the Bard’s gravitas with the fierce humor and layered identity of Black life in the south.

Albert Igbinigie. Courtesy images

Growing up in Nashville, Igbinigie knew he had a passion for performance. “I’ve been singing and performing for most of my life,” he shared. “Not always professionally, but the love for it has always been there. I’ve followed that love wherever it led.” 

That love took him to Texas State’s nationally regarded Musical Theatre program. “I found them online in 2021, and their presence was bold, exciting, and generous — both creatively and financially,” he recalled with a laugh. “I really turned that tassel and just came straight to rehearsal. It's been very new for me working with all these Texans. A lot of the other people in this cast have worked at this theater, or worked closely with someone on the team before.”

Albert Igbinigie and Marc Pouhe in Austin Playhouse’s production of “Fat Ham.”

Igbinigie’s entrance into Austin Playhouse came through a tip from a fellow performer. “Alyssa Hurtado, who’s been part of this community, just sent me the audition. She believed in me,” he explained. He also spoke glowingly of the theater’s director, Ben Wolfe. “Ben is intentional, cerebral, and deeply thoughtful. Coming from a musical theater background, I’m not used to having this much space to dig in emotionally. But Ben gives us that space… It's all very new, being the guy to come from somewhere else and be in this room of people, relating to everybody and figuring out where the fun is and understanding; getting to witness everybody else's process. I'm grateful to have this experience right after college — to be able to apply everything that I just learned, but also learn from all these other people.”

Igbinigie also sees the value in Austin Playhouse as a cultural anchor. “This is community theater in the truest sense,” he explained. “They’re giving people like me a shot. They’re producing high-caliber work in an intimate, human space. I hope the community shows up for them the way they’ve shown up for me.”

So what can audiences expect from Fat Ham? To laugh, cry, dance and reflect according to Igbinigie. “This show cracks open questions about generational trauma, family expectations, and self-discovery. And it does it in a way that’s funny, raw, and utterly real.”

As for Igbinigie’s future, it’s looking bright. He’s planning a move to New York this fall for audition season. “I want to tour, maybe make it to Broadway someday,” he says, “but more than anything, I just want to keep telling stories that matter. Stories that let people see themselves — or someone they’ve never understood before — onstage.”

Fat Ham has already seen success on stage in Austin and runs through June 29. Tickets start at $24 with Pick-Your-Price Thursdays and Half-Price Student Discounts. Get your tickets today at austinplayhouse.com/fatham