<p>As the first two-thirds of the title suggests, the film is about the hugely popular and equally controversial video game ‘Grand Theft Auto’ or ‘GTA’. The final bit of the title is clear enough about being something about the Shakespearean play, but the magic lies in how these two starkly distinct worlds are brought together under one realm. </p><p>Crane (a seasoned actor) and Grylls (a doc. filmmaker), real-life husband and wife, manage to do the bizarre and the almost impossible in the company of their dear friend and actor Mark Oosterveen, as the trio stages ‘Hamlet’ in the virtual space of the 2013 video game ‘Grand Theft Auto Online’. In other words, it is the characters or the avatars of the game that are playing Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude and so on with the human players controlling their movements and their voices.</p>.<p>The 2021 Covid 19 lockdown has rendered everyone (including the makers of<em> Grand Theft Hamlet</em>) jobless, lonely and creatively hungry. What starts as a mindless goof between Crane and Oosterveen to indulge one another and enact ‘Hamlet’ as their respective GTA avatars leads to something very intriguing and promising: why not release a casting call to invite fellow gamers to audition for different parts and put the play together? </p>.<p>The word trickles down the gaming community and players with a penchant for something different join in on this mad exercise. A fascinating symbiotic relationship between virtual and actual realities is forged through individuals of diverse backgrounds. A video game voice actor (Jen Cohn) comes along under an unusual username. Oosterveen’s own football buddy takes a crack at a ‘Hamlet’ soliloquy in his hood-style avatar. Another non-English-speaking player decides to head the security of the group. The motley crew of strangers come together to not only achieve something eccentric, but to also find companionship in those dull, lonely pandemic times.</p><p>Yet, the documentary is far from remaining a cheeky, highbrow idea alone. As Crane, Oosterveen and Grylls try their best to be sincere and make their endeavour worthwhile, they encounter hilarious logistical issues that are as tricky as in the case of an ‘actual film’. </p>.<p>For starters, finding a place to rehearse without being attacked by an oblivious gamer turns out to be a mighty challenge, just as working with everyone’s schedules does. The actor meant to play the titular role suddenly announces that he has found a real job and will no longer be able to fully commit to the task, while the makers themselves feel many times that they are overreaching with this project. </p><p>The charm also lies in how the film retains the candour (thanks to Pinny Grylls' slick editing) and also allows us, the viewer, to feel immersed in the objective. While Crane and Oosterveen’s drive to execute the play gradually reaches obsessive levels, we also sense that the </p><p>two struggling actors actually seek a kind of catharsis that the outside isn’t able to offer to them. Their creative zest is palpable among the handful of those from around the world who endorse the idea of marrying Shakespeare with Rockstar Games (the makers of GTA) and soon, a close-knit community is formed. </p>.<p>And that, in essence, is what ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ is all about. It is absurd and implausible in all possible ways but it also proves to be a sanctuary, of sorts, for those who seek companionship during those difficult pandemic times. One of the players reveals that they recently came out as transgender to their family and this nonsensically fun activity not only allows them to soak in the new change, but to also understand the true nature of the people around them (just as Prince Hamlet does in the play). </p>.<p>Another non-English-speaking player gets to recite verses from the Quran to a cheering audience while Mark Oosterveen himself manages to overcome loneliness for a moment. Amid all the chaos and confusion, it is beautiful to see that the film finds poetry and meaning on its own. Watch it for the way it fulfils its unknown purpose with both levity and empathy. </p>
<p>As the first two-thirds of the title suggests, the film is about the hugely popular and equally controversial video game ‘Grand Theft Auto’ or ‘GTA’. The final bit of the title is clear enough about being something about the Shakespearean play, but the magic lies in how these two starkly distinct worlds are brought together under one realm. </p><p>Crane (a seasoned actor) and Grylls (a doc. filmmaker), real-life husband and wife, manage to do the bizarre and the almost impossible in the company of their dear friend and actor Mark Oosterveen, as the trio stages ‘Hamlet’ in the virtual space of the 2013 video game ‘Grand Theft Auto Online’. In other words, it is the characters or the avatars of the game that are playing Hamlet, Claudius, Gertrude and so on with the human players controlling their movements and their voices.</p>.<p>The 2021 Covid 19 lockdown has rendered everyone (including the makers of<em> Grand Theft Hamlet</em>) jobless, lonely and creatively hungry. What starts as a mindless goof between Crane and Oosterveen to indulge one another and enact ‘Hamlet’ as their respective GTA avatars leads to something very intriguing and promising: why not release a casting call to invite fellow gamers to audition for different parts and put the play together? </p>.<p>The word trickles down the gaming community and players with a penchant for something different join in on this mad exercise. A fascinating symbiotic relationship between virtual and actual realities is forged through individuals of diverse backgrounds. A video game voice actor (Jen Cohn) comes along under an unusual username. Oosterveen’s own football buddy takes a crack at a ‘Hamlet’ soliloquy in his hood-style avatar. Another non-English-speaking player decides to head the security of the group. The motley crew of strangers come together to not only achieve something eccentric, but to also find companionship in those dull, lonely pandemic times.</p><p>Yet, the documentary is far from remaining a cheeky, highbrow idea alone. As Crane, Oosterveen and Grylls try their best to be sincere and make their endeavour worthwhile, they encounter hilarious logistical issues that are as tricky as in the case of an ‘actual film’. </p>.<p>For starters, finding a place to rehearse without being attacked by an oblivious gamer turns out to be a mighty challenge, just as working with everyone’s schedules does. The actor meant to play the titular role suddenly announces that he has found a real job and will no longer be able to fully commit to the task, while the makers themselves feel many times that they are overreaching with this project. </p><p>The charm also lies in how the film retains the candour (thanks to Pinny Grylls' slick editing) and also allows us, the viewer, to feel immersed in the objective. While Crane and Oosterveen’s drive to execute the play gradually reaches obsessive levels, we also sense that the </p><p>two struggling actors actually seek a kind of catharsis that the outside isn’t able to offer to them. Their creative zest is palpable among the handful of those from around the world who endorse the idea of marrying Shakespeare with Rockstar Games (the makers of GTA) and soon, a close-knit community is formed. </p>.<p>And that, in essence, is what ‘Grand Theft Hamlet’ is all about. It is absurd and implausible in all possible ways but it also proves to be a sanctuary, of sorts, for those who seek companionship during those difficult pandemic times. One of the players reveals that they recently came out as transgender to their family and this nonsensically fun activity not only allows them to soak in the new change, but to also understand the true nature of the people around them (just as Prince Hamlet does in the play). </p>.<p>Another non-English-speaking player gets to recite verses from the Quran to a cheering audience while Mark Oosterveen himself manages to overcome loneliness for a moment. Amid all the chaos and confusion, it is beautiful to see that the film finds poetry and meaning on its own. Watch it for the way it fulfils its unknown purpose with both levity and empathy. </p>