Yes, you read that right, two out-of-work actors decided to stage a full-on production of Shakespeare’s Hamlet within the virtual video game world of Grand Theft Auto V. And now, an award-winning, feature-length documentary has been released to tell the incredible story of how this insurmountable task came into fruition.
The aptly named Grand Theft Hamlet follows protagonists Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen, as they navigate the violent, virtual world of Grand Theft Auto against the backdrop of the COVID-19 pandemic. Lockdowns have left actors Sam and Mark out of work, so when they discover an amphitheatre within the game world, they find themselves contemplating the possibility of staging a full-on production of Hamlet, within the game world.
Sam’s partner, Pinny Grylls, is an award-winning HOH/deaf director and editor, so with her expertise, they set to work trying to make their virtual reality idea into a reality, while filming the story in the process.
The film is said to ask the questions, “what is this space? How do we use it now and what else is possible inside it? Can we transport this ancient story inside a brand new one? And will it still make sense?” And indeed, the game world itself presents the most challenging obstacle. The world of Grand Theft Auto V is inherently violent and players are free to drive, fight, and kill as they please. It was never built to host a full-on stage show.
Grand Theft Auto V is the third-best-selling video game of all time, with over 200-million copies sold worldwide. It was released in 2013 and takes place in the fictional state of San Andreas, which is loosely based on California. The single-player game allows players to assume the role of one of three characters, but the online portion of the game allows players to create their own avatar and explore the game world as they please.
Grand Theft Hamlet will be showing in select cinemas across the UK from December 6.
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