The Big Picture

The world of
Grand Theft Auto Online
offers immense creative possibilities in the form of
Grand Theft Hamlet
.
Putting on a play in this virtual world shows a new appreciation for Shakespeare’s work and his themes.
Real-world problems and repetitive violence can hinder the experience of bringing
Hamlet
to life in
GTA Online
.

The world of Grand Theft Auto Online is a lawless place. After giving us several worlds in the Grand Theft Auto franchise full of violence, never-ending crime, and all sorts of seedy people, Rockstar Games took a horrifying leap with GTA Online: other people. In doing so, Rockstar made an already bonkers world into something even more unhinged, with players willing and able to rob and kill any player, and essentially do whatever they want in this virtual world. But that freedom also led to immense creativity in GTA Online, with modifications that can make this world into anything the player wants it to be, and with so many minds in one place, the fictional city of Los Santos can become a world of pure imagination.

Grand Theft Hamlet (2024) Struggling actors Sam and Mark find solace from lockdown isolation by staging Hamlet in Grand Theft Auto, battling griefers as they connect through Shakespeare.Release Date March 10, 2024 Director Sam Crane , Pinny Grylls Cast Sam Crane , Jen Cohn , Mark Oosterveen , Gareth Turkington Runtime 89 Minutes

What Is ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ About?
One of the most unique uses of this world is captured in Grand Theft Hamlet, described as a “machinima documentary” by directors Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls. Shot entirely within Grand Theft Auto Online, out-of-work actors Crane and Mark Osterveen have taken to exploring the world of the video game during the UK’s 3rd lockdown in 2021. One day, they discover an outdoor theater within the in-game world of Los Santos and consider the possibility of putting on a version of Hamlet, and whether or not that would even be possible. After trying out a few lines, it doesn’t take long before the police show up, bullets start flying and William Shakespeare’s play is interrupted. But the concept sticks with Sam and Mark, a way for them to finally act during lockdown, but through this unusual medium. Sam and Mark get more and more into this wild idea, and as one player mentions, it’s like Shakespeare on a billion-dollar budget where everything is possible. With the help of Sam’s wife, Pinny, this group attempts the unthinkable: bringing Shakespeare to Los Santos.

This group handles this idea like a fairly straightforward production at first, holding auditions with all manner of participants, from aliens to legitimate actors excited to break this new ground. However, when a group of people assemble in GTA, people start dying, and it’s hard to even keep the actors safe in this unsafe world. This is a production that needs security, and as they say in the GTA theater, “You can’t stop the production just because someone dies.” But also, in a world where you can pop in and pop out at your leisure, it’s hard to get consistent actors to stay within a video game for things like theatre practice.

The Show Must Go on in ‘Grand Theft Hamlet,’ Even If the Actors Die
Image via SXSW

Grand Theft Hamlet is primarily fascinating for two major reasons. One, it’s remarkable to see everything it takes to put on a show, even one online. Trying to find players who actively want to put down their guns and recite the work of The Bard is a daunting task, but it’s also lovely to see why these people are engaging with the game in this way. Like Sam and Mark, some people want to get back on the stage, while others know they won’t get this opportunity in the real world. It’s also a way to find people with all sorts of different backgrounds, from all around the world to act together in a way that would simply be impossible otherwise.

But the other fascinating aspect is just how strangely perfectly it works in the GTA Online universe. Using different emotes and costumes turns this into more than just a recitation, but an actual performance, with actors making distinct choices that enhance the work. Even finding the right place to put on each part of this play is incredible, as there’s no shortage of locations. Hamlet can take place on an absurd yacht in the middle of the ocean, on top of a blimp floating over a city, or in a luxurious mansion—or all three. Actors can die and people can jump in and disrupt the production, and yet, the show must go on. Even in a world of their creation, the theatre isn’t easy.

Bringing Real-World Issues Into ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ Doesn’t Always Work
Yet Grand Theft Auto isn’t always as successful at integrating the real world into the stories of these avatars. Sometimes, it’s extremely effective, as when one participant mentions how important this experience is to them after coming out as trans, or Mark’s sorrowful discussion of losing his last living relative during COVID, as he tries to hide how hard this and the pandemic have hit him. Bringing the reality of the situation into the game world works in fits and starts. But other times, it can feel a bit forced and doesn’t quite have an impact on the story at hand. At one point, Sam and Mark argue about their dedication to the project, now that the world is opening back up, and Sam and Pinny get in a fight at one point, as Sam has become too sucked into this world and forgotten his wife’s birthday and neglects their kids. These would be worthwhile injections to the story if they led to something. But instead, these scenes exist without leaving any mark on the rest of the narrative.

Also, understandably, trying to put this show on in GTA Online can get a bit repetitive at times. Almost every practice seems to end with an onslaught of violence coming out of nowhere, or someone trying to be an ass. It’s a punchline that the film returns to over and over, and after a while, the joke’s potency starts to wear thin. In a world where anything is possible, certain things like this are inevitabilities that they can’t escape from. But at under 90 minutes, Crane and Grylls’ documentary seems to know the limitations of telling this story for too long and get out before this repetition gets to be too much.

In bringing Hamlet to GTA, Crane and Grylls’ film can reach some intriguing interpretations of what Shakespeare was saying, all in a medium that Shakespeare could’ve never imagined. While Grand Theft Auto Online might not be the most effective way to put on a show, Grand Theft Hamlet shows how incredible it is to see how a new medium of storytelling can shift what we know of a beloved work and put it into an entirely new context after centuries. And all of this in a game where you can solicit and kill a hooker.

Grand Theft Hamlet (2024) REVIEWGrand Theft Hamlet, from Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls, brings Shakespeare to a virtual world, a compelling and strange endeavor that recontextualizes the classic play in interesting ways.ProsGrand Theft Hamlet shows the difficulties of putting on a play, regardless of the world.By putting this play on in this world, there’s a new appreciation for the play and what Shakespeare is trying to say.The possibilities are endless in a world where anything can happen. ConsThe integration of real-world storylines doesn’t always work.The constant killing of the actors and directors can get a bit tiresome which is not usually a problem most movies have.

Grand Theft Hamlet had its World Premiere at the 2024 SXSW Festival.