How Hamlet found a virtual stage in Grand Theft Auto

The new documentary Grand Theft Hamlet marks a groundbreaking moment in the world of digital performance. It tells the story of an innovative theatrical production of Hamlet, staged within the popular video game Grand Theft Auto (GTA), which began as an accidental, creative response to the lockdown period. With theatres closed, the creators had decided that the show must go on, adopting a unique performance space to put on Shakespeare’s Hamlet. The documentary is about two actors’ desire to find fulfilment in their art and is testament to the boundless possibilities of artistic innovation.

The documentary, which features possibly the first ever theatrical performance of Shakespeare within a video game, tells the story of how Hamlet in Grand Theft Auto was pulled off. A funny and inspiring film, it has garnered awards and critical acclaim for its originality and execution. First released in 1997, GTA has been a focal point of debates about gaming for nearly three decades. It is often charged with encouraging anti-social behaviour, as the core plot line of the game involves players carrying out missions to rise in the criminal underworld. In GTA’s latest online open world edition, it has also become more of a social game, with players meeting up and enjoying a shared experience.

This new social open world allowed actors Sam Crane and Mark Oosterveen to stage Hamlet with actors appearing as avatars in the beautiful graphic backdrop of GTA’s fictional Hollywood environment, known in the game as Vinewood. These visuals create a cinematic experience that is both melancholic, contemplative and hilarious. The ensuing documentary of the production tells a story of artistic frustration during the COVID lockdown, while also celebrating the liberation and excitement of discovering new creative frontiers. The production also arrived at a pivotal moment in the history of the creative industries, which are undergoing significant transformations and threats. Changes in audience behaviour and expectations, including a willingness to see theatre in-person but also online, have reshaped how we engage with art.

Grand Theft Hamlet exemplifies this shift, demonstrating how traditional art forms can evolve and find new life in digital spaces. Another major event during lockdown that’s worth mentioning in this context is the Royal Shakespeare Company’s Dream. It worked with London-based art collective Marshmallow Laser Feast and the city’s Philharmonia Orchestra to design a virtual live performance of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream using live motion capture. While such innovative prospects are exciting, the embrace of digital spaces is not without its problems. Writers, actors, producers and publishers are all working through the implications of AI-generated worlds and works, from AI learning to write plays to recent concerns expressed by Cate Blanchett about how voice cloning could erode the role of the actor.