How do you perform a Shakespeare play in the middle of a global pandemic? British actor Sam Crane wasn’t sure, but he knew he was tired of looking at Zoom screens. Ta. His determination to find an outlet for creativity without falling prey to soulless pandemic tropes has taken his own work, “Hamlet,” to the vast virtual world of “Grand Theft Auto Online,” an entirely different world. This led to the installation within the type of screen.
His creative process, from casting actors he’s never seen before to having his avatar photographed by an online stranger during rehearsals, is described in the documentary Grand Theft, which he co-directed with partner Pinny Grylls. -The theme of Hamlet. Shot entirely within a video game, “Grand Theft Hamlet” is a portrait of artists struggling to balance their craft and personal life during difficult times. The film won the Documentary Jury Award at SXSW 2024 and is scheduled for theatrical release on MUBI in January 2025.
In an interview with IndieWire, Grylls and Crane reflected on their unique experience trying to conduct private rehearsals within a public game.
“It’s as challenging as Shakespeare’s new production at the Globe Theater,” Grylls said. “He didn’t know if people would like his new plays, ‘Romeo and Juliet’ and ‘Hamlet.’ Maybe people would come and sell them apples, and if people didn’t like[the actors]And that’s me. It was like a different place. They didn’t care, they didn’t pay $100 for a ticket. If they thought we were shit, they’d leave, shoot us, or throw something at us. I loved it because it was the ultimate test.”
Grand Theft Hamlet received mostly positive reviews from critics, with IndieWire’s David Ehrlich writing, “A world full of people who could always say ‘you’re a bitch’ and get shot in the face. Few pandemic films have captured the desperation to connect so well.” You try to reach out. In fact, I would argue that none of them do. ”
MUBI will release “Grand Theft Hamlet” in theaters on Friday, January 17th. Check out the trailer below.
