VIFF 2024: Grand Theft Hamlet
United Kingdom, United States of America | Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane | English | 89 minutes
Out-of-work, UK actors Sam and Mark are in a pickle about what to do with their time in lockdown. Escaping into the violent online world of Grand Theft Auto V, they happen upon an amphitheatre. Inspired, they decide to mount a full production of Hamlet in the city of Los Santos, a perfect setting for Shakespeare’s blood-soaked tragedy. Together they conduct auditions, scout locations, and rehearse. Thus, the game’s afoot and the newly assembled troupe suffers the slings and arrows of producing virtual theatre: scheduling conflicts, technical difficulties, and the constant threat of a PvP ambush.
When the Bard wrote “All the world’s a stage,” he certainly didn’t have the virtual world in mind, nor could he have imagined the cast of players ranging from professional actors with limited gaming experience to mechanically skilled Shakespearean noobs, a menagerie of eccentric avatars, including a mute stage manager and the unforgettable ParTebMosMir, a naked, green alien and agent of chaos who quotes from the Quran and handles security. Grand Theft Hamlet celebrates the joy and community in creating art.
Saturday, October 5
6:30 pm
Advance tickets HERE
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VIFF thanks the xʷməθkʷəy̓əm (Musqueam), Sḵwx̱wú7mesh (Squamish), and səlilwətaɬ/Selilwitulh (Tsleil-Waututh) Nations for their continued stewardship of the unceded and occupied land on which our work takes place. As an organization founded and predominantly directed by settlers and immigrants, we understand our responsibility to seek out and build authentic relationships with Indigenous communities, and to allow this ongoing dialogue to influence our practices. As part of this process, we remain committed to collaborating with and supporting Indigenous artists, filmmakers, curators, and audiences.
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