Grand Theft Hamlet is a chaotic and anarchic ode to Shakespeare and GTA

Grand Theft Hamlet is much more than an ode to Shakespeare, or even a celebration of what’s possible within the frame of modern gaming. It’s a farcical idea, the thought to perform all of Shakespeare’s Hamlet within the online world of Grand Theft Auto Online, but one with good intentions. The spark of inspiration struck two actors, Sam and Mark, while they were playing GTA together during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Neither actor could find work as the population of the country was locked down safely inside, avoiding the potential illness and death that the pandemic was wreaking across the world. The film, which is being distributed by Mubi, isn’t one of the performance of Hamlet that did eventually transpire, but it’s a kind of fly-on-the-wall documentary that shows two things; what happens to creatives when that outlet is dampened, and then what can come of creative ingenuity when one leaves the box behind.

The film is, in turns, hilarious, sombre, inspiring, witty, and packed with love. It all starts as Sam and Mark are running away from the cops after something heinous has happened, and they stumble across the amphitheatre in Vinewood. An off-the-cuff soliloquy emerges and echoes around the architecture, and the hum of the online lobby. What lands as a joke, “Can you perform Shakespeare in GTA Online?” ends up running away and becoming a thing, pulling in voice actors, stage actors, and random players of the game.

Null Stories, Mubi

There’s an edge of professionalism with the anarchic attitude that Grand Theft Auto brings. At points, random members of the lobby will burst in on serious discussions of how this could work, launching rocket propelled grenades at Mark and Sam, leaving them in bloody puddles. Later, when rehearsals are taking place, after actors are found within the community, people fall from buildings to rapturous laughter, or the cops arrive to break up the festivities with everyone running for the hills, or pulling out their weapons to fight for the freedom of creativity.

It’s a ludicrous prospect, but one that eventually comes together. However, it’s not the actual performance that takes centre stage, but the journey to pull off such a thing. Google the outcome, and you’ll see that Grand Theft Hamlet has actually won awards for the play, and it has further made stars of its cast and crew. There’s no denying they pulled it off. We get to see snatches of scenes through rehearsals, but also the final performance - which was originally streamed on YouTube and Twitch - isn’t the attraction here.

There are pockets of conversation, in between the chaos and hilarity of GTA Online, where we get a glimpse of humanity at its rawest; points where the pair of actors wonder not just if all the stress and planning is worth it, but what creativity means to those within the industries. In a poignant scene, while looking for places to perform in-game, the team’s Hamlet drops out of the performance and leaves Sam and Mark to discuss what this project means to them.

What you hear is a crushing moment that reflects how the pandemic impacted those who built their lives around performance, now left to sit indoors and wonder when they could do what they love again. It’s an impassioned section of the film that grounds the whole premise, pulling it away from being a bit of a silly idea in a video game, and turns it into something that gives people a reason to get up in the morning when everything feels s**t.

Null Stories, Mubi

The coming together of a talented bunch of people is inspiring to see, and the pair meet a wealth of players who wanted to be a part of this. Some wanted to act, some just wanted to be there and witness something unique. There’s a real sense of camaraderie when new people show up, tell their story, tread the boards, or just act as a bodyguard, killing would-be trolls, so the performance could go on.

It’s as bonkers as it sounds, and while I would fear this could only appeal to gamers familiar with GTA Online, that would do the film a disservice. You don’t have to love Shakespeare, nor do you have to have held a controller at 2am while you gorge on your favourite game. I’d say you simply need to be a fan of the human spirit and the ingenuity of creatives who will never be held back by barriers.

Grand Theft Hamlet is also a wonderful, if sometimes bleak, snapshot of human life during a time of uncertainty. The play reflects the concepts of life and death, and the film shows a group of people who were trying to survive during a time of fear. Moments arise where big discussions of life and death break free from the confines of the play, showing that it was lingering in our minds as thousands of people across the world died to this sudden and mysterious illness that threatened our way of life.

This film is a spark of joy. It’s the kindling of creative energies that, despite the odds, couldn’t be extinguished. I hope that those who acted in the final performance, and those who hung on around the stars, are still friends. Maybe they still play GTA Online together, but even if they don’t, they can know they were part of something truly special. Entertaining, daft, a bit brave, pulling up the grassroots of improv theatre, and putting on a show in the most ridiculous place of all. I think Shakespeare would approve.