Grand Theft Hamlet: If Shakespeare Played GTA Online

The idea of staging Hamlet by William Shakespeare in GTA Online could only come from newcomers. That’s what made it so fascinating to watch as two unemployed actors, stuck at home during lockdown, became passionate about the idea and eventually brought it to life. Starting in 2021, Sam and Mark finally achieved what they had envisioned the following year. Later, in January 2023, their work even received its first award. And now, after theatrical screenings, it’s available for streaming. At first, things didn’t seem so promising. The actual theatrical adaptation of the classic play within the game barely takes 10 minutes of screen time. The rest is an exhausting process — casting actors, scouting locations, and handling all the behind-the-scenes work that the audience usually never sees. The team faced numerous obstacles: the departure of the lead actor, personal tragedies, and family issues, all compounded by the psychological toll of being in lockdown (which, in hindsight, wasn’t that bad, right?). Of course, all this drama might seem a bit stiff, but that’s mostly because it’s hard to convey deep emotions through in-game characters.

This could have worked against the project, but then Shakespearean monologues are delivered — only to be followed by classic GTA NPC lines. That’s when it becomes clear: even if the creators didn’t fully grasp the outdated nature of the game world at first, they ultimately hit the mark. The constant on-screen notifications, which might seem like they ruin the visuals, actually enhance the authenticity of the idea — after all, everything happens in an open session, making the challenge even greater. And when the phrase “Event Over” appears in one of the final shots, it suddenly clicks — this is also a story of the creators discovering the game itself and all the possibilities it offers. Of course, the same in-game notifications popping up during key moments and the poor audio quality (recorded from a headset) must have been awful in a theatrical setting. This raises a valid question, already asked in user reviews on aggregator sites: “Why release this in theaters when it could just be uploaded to YouTube?” But that’s more about distribution. Regardless, the creators deserve credit — not only did they pull off their ambitious project, but they also managed to present (read: sell) it to the world properly, which is just as important.

While Grand Theft Hamlet might be too unconventional or experimental for most viewers, it’s a unique way to experience a classic in an unexpected format. And it’s definitely an hour and a half well spent.

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