As the sun sets, actors Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen look out over a near-empty amphitheatre. “This is William Shakespeare’s Hamlet. I believe it’s the first time it’s ever been performed at the Vinewood Bowl,” Crane tells their two audience members, one of whom immediately murders the other. “If I could just request that you refrain from killing each other,” Crane pleads. “And don’t kill the actors either.” A police helicopter lands on stage. Unmitigated bloodshed ensues.
So ends Crane and Oosterveen’s first attempt to stage Hamlet inside the hugely successful satirical video game Grand Theft Auto V. Hamlet’s dynastic revenge plot is a good match for the game’s anarchic open world, even if the game’s dialogue lacks some of the Bard’s lyricism: “No, I don’t miss your 10-inch dick,” one non-playable character can be heard saying. “You know why? Because you sold my dog for crack!”
