It’s fair to say that William Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Grand Theft Auto wouldn’t appear to be likely bedfellows, at least on face value. One is a text that has been adapted and studied for centuries, with everyone from Kenneth Branagh to The Simpsons taking a stab at it. The other is the biggest and arguably most controversial video game franchise in the world, having been brought to life in 1997 by the Scottish game developers at Rockstar North. Gamers are essentially free to do anything they want in its expansive open world, including untold amounts of chaos and crimes. And even, as recounted in a new documentary, putting on a production of Hamlet itself.
“It was a very appropriate environment for it,” says Pinny Grylls, one of the co-directors of Grand Theft Hamlet. The documentary follows two out-of-work actors, Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen, who attempt to mount a production of the play in the online version of GTA.
