Of all the crossovers, who would have expected this? From indie film makers Sam Crane and Pinny Grylls, “Grand Theft Hamlet” explores two out-of-work theatre actors attempting to put on a production of Hamlet within the video game “Grand Theft Auto V”. The entire film is made up of in-game footage, and takes place amongst the backdrop of the January 2021 lockdown. The closure of theatres forces Sam and his best friend Mark Oosterveen to search for alternative outlets for their creativity, and they are inspired when they come across the Vinewood bowl stage and decide to begin reciting soliloquys from Shakespeare’s works. It isn’t long before other online players come across the two actors and promptly kill them. And so begins the mayhem that is “Grand Theft Hamlet”.
Sam quickly gets his real-life girlfriend Pinny involved in the game, to help capture footage of the two actors as they attempt to recruit others to their play. Some seek out Sam and Mark after seeing adverts posted online for “auditions” – one lady uses her nephew’s GTA account to connect with the pair, despite not being particularly good at the controls. The auditionees are a mixed bunch – which include voice actor Jen Cohn (of Overwatch fame) who is cast as Horatio, and professional actor Dipo Ola who secures the title role.
Where “Grand Theft Hamlet” excels is in the random online players that Sam and Mark come across during their endeavours. Some immediately leave as soon as the two begin reciting Shakespeare, some start shooting at them, but others decide to stick around and get involved. ParTeb, a Quran-reciting alien with a fantastic butt – becomes the crew’s de-facto security, protecting them from other online gamers as they rehearse, whilst other players take on roles such as “stage manager”, helping the crew find useful performance spaces within the game.
The freedom of GTA Online means that, as one player says, this truly is “Hamlet on a million dollar budget”. The opening scene takes place on a private yacht, renamed Elsinore, whilst the ghost arrives via blimp. Ophelia’s death is relocated to a swanky swimming pool, and Claudius prays in an eerie underground cave. Instead of dropping poison in the ear of the Player King, Lucianus blows him up with a rocket launcher. It is all over the top and highly comedic, but it also allows the audience to experience Hamlet in an entirely new way, and discover new aspects to Shakespeare’s text that may not have been realised before.
Amidst the random killing sprees, the film also takes time to reflect on the work of actors and the cost of the lockdowns. Mark, who lives alone, discovers that his last living blood relative has passed away, and struggles to process that. Sam and Pinny face struggles in their relationship as the project begins to take its toll. And as lockdown begins to ease, Dipo delivers some shocking news to the crew – he has got a “proper job” and can no longer commit to the role. Some of these moments come across as a little too scripted, but they make for interesting commentary nonetheless. And just as things start to get too serious, Dipo randomly shoots Mark in the chest and jumps on a subway train.
This is a fascinating docu-drama unlike anything I have seen before, one that celebrates friendships, the kindness of strangers and the desire to create art. Realising Shakespeare within a video game is a completely original idea, and this is sure to bring a new audience to Shakespeare’s works. Who knows what we could see next? Fortnitebras? Robloxcrantz? Claudius-of-Duty? I’ll see myself out.
Tom Morley, January 2025
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