Grand Theft Hamlet

Struggling actors Sam and Mark find solace from lockdown isolation by staging a production of Hamlet inside the videogame Grand Theft Auto.

★★★★★
“A brilliant idea, brilliantly executed; hilarious, surreal and, yes, in its weird way, genuinely exciting”
Peter Bradshaw, The Guardian

★★★★
“Of the many lockdown movies to emerge… Grand Theft Hamlet is easily the funniest. [This] Herculean undertaking is a comedy goldmine. An unexpectedly moving, genuinely quite revolutionary tribute to art’s endurance – and importance – in times of crisis.”
Jordan King, EMPIRE

★★★★
“…A hilarious and moving treat”.
Nick Howells, LONDON EVENING STANDARD

“Hilarious and unexpectedly poignant.”
David Ehrlich, INDIEWIRE

“When Shakespeare meets gaming, hilarity and heartbreak ensue.”
Leslie Felperin, THE HOLLYWOOD REPORTER

Click here for where to find Grand Theft Hamlet in cinemas

 

LONGLISTED – BAFTA, Outstanding Debut By A British Writer, Director Or Producer 

NOMINEE – LONDON CRITICS’ CIRCLE FILM AWARDS, Documentary of the Year

WINNER, BRITISH INDEPENDENT FILM AWARDS 2024
Best Debut Director – Feature Documentary: Pinny Grylls & Sam Crane
The Raindance Maverick Award: Pinny Grylls, Sam Crane, Julia Ton, Rebecca Wolff

January 2021. The UK is in its 3rd lockdown and all entertainment venues remain closed. For theatre actors Sam and Mark, the future looks bleak. As the pandemic drags on, Mark – single and childless – is increasingly socially isolated, while Sam panics about how he is going to support his young family.

They spend their days in the online digital world of Grand Theft Auto and when they stumble across a theatre, they suddenly have an idea to stage a full production of Hamlet within the game.

This film charts their ridiculous, hilarious and moving adventure as they battle violent griefers and discover surprising truths about life, friendship and the enduring power of Shakespeare.

 

Grand Theft Hamlet is released in cinemas with descriptive captions for the D/deaf and those experiencing hearing loss.

 

“Digital avatars deliver soliloquies while besieged by virtual gunfire, the entire cast dies mid-show after accidentally falling off a blimp – and Shakespeare’s play about performance and madness finds renewed resonance”
Sight and Sound

“An inspiring and really rather moving piece of work”
The Big Issue

[A] strikingly amusing and original documentary… Alongside the laughs, there is beauty and melancholy too in the deserted, windblown environs of the game, which prove a perfect analogue for Hamlet’s Elsinore… A heartening depiction of communities coming together in benighted times”
Crack Magazine

“An utterly hilarious and unexpectedly moving treat… Murderously funny… Laugh-out-loud may be a cliché, but that’s what myself and most of the cinema audience were doing… Wickedly entertaining”
★★★★ The Standard

“Grand Theft Hamlet is chiefly a celebration of an audacious artistic achievement and the perseverance it involved”
★★★★★ Movie Marker

“{A] fantastic and wildly inventive documentary… Unpredictable and extremely entertaining… Perfect”
★★★★★  Loud and Clear Reviews

★★★★★
The Guardian

★★★★
Little White Lies

★★★★
Empire

★★★★
The Scotsman

★★★★
London Evening Standard

★★★★
Heat Magazine

★★★★
Film Stories

★★★★
Eye For Film

★★★★
The People’s Movies

★★★★
The Arts Desk

★★★★
The Irish Times

★★★★
FilmHounds

★★★★
Sunday Express

★★★★
Sunday Mirror

★★★★
Scotland on Sunday

★★★★
Sunday People

★★★★
Daily Star Sunday

Released in the UK from Friday 6th December 2024

  • Director: Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane
  • Country: UK/Netherlands
  • Year: 2024
  • Duration: 90 minutes
  • Genre: Documentary
  • Production company: Grasp The Nettle, Project 1961
  • Cert: 15 UK / 15A Ireland

Official website

IN CINEMAS UNTIL FRIDAY 31ST JANUARY

Click here to let us know if we’re missing a cinema near you-more cinemas coming soon

Please click on the links in red to buy tickets

 

From Friday 31st January

SOLD OUT Nottingham – Broadway  |  Friday 31st January

 

 

PREVIOUS SCREENINGS

Nationwide – Escapes – free previews  |  Monday 2nd December
PREVIEW: London – BFI IMAX  |  Wednesday 4th December + Q&A with Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane
SOLD OUT London – Bertha Dochouse  |  Thursday 5th December + Q&A with Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane
London – Hackney Picturehouse  | From Friday 6th December Q&A with Pinny Grylls and Sam Crane Friday 6th December
London – Finsbury Park Picturehouse  |  From Friday 6th December + Q&A with Pinny Grylls Saturday 7th December
London – Institute of Contemporary Arts  |  From Friday 6th December
Brighton – Picturehouse Dukes At Komedia  |  From Friday 6th December + Q&A with Sam Crane and producer Rebecca Wolff Saturday 7th December
Glasgow – Glasgow Film Theatre  |  From Friday 6th December + Q&A with Sam Crane Tuesday 10th December
Dublin – Lighthouse  |  From Friday 6th December
Southampton – Harbour Lights Picturehouse  |  From Friday 6th December
London – Bertha Dochouse  |  From Saturday 7th December
London – Garden Cinema  |  From Saturday 7th December + Q&A with Mark Oosterveen and producer Julia Ton Monday 9th December
London – Ealing Project  |  From Sunday 8th December + Q&A with Mark Oosterveen Sunday 8th December
Reading – Biscuit Factory  |  From Sunday 8th December
Galway – Pálás  |  From Monday 9th December + virtual Q&A with Sam Crane Monday 9th December
Bolton – The Light  |  From Tuesday 10th December
New Brighton – The Light  |  From Tuesday 10th December
Sheffield – The Light  |  From Tuesday 10th December
Sittingbourne – The Light  |  From Tuesday 10th December
Stockport – The Light  |  From Tuesday 10th December
Walsall – The Light  |  From Tuesday 10th December
SOLD OUT Edinburgh – Cameo Picturehouse  |  Q&A with Sam Crane Wednesday 11th December
Worthing – Connaught Theatre  |  From Wednesday 11th December
York – City Screen Picturehouse  |  Thursday 12th December + Q&A with Sam Crane
London – Ritzy Picturehouse  |  From Friday 13th December + Q&A with Pinny Grylls and producer Rebecca Wolff
London – Hackney Picturehouse  | From Friday 13th December
London – Picturehouse Central  | From Friday 13th December
London – Institute of Contemporary Arts  |  From Friday 13th December
London – Bertha Dochouse  |  From Friday 13th December
London – Garden Cinema  |  From Friday 13th December
Epsom – Picturehouse  |  From Friday 13th December
Lewes – Depot  |  From Friday 13th December
Sheffield – Showroom  |  From Friday 13th December + Q&A with Mark Oosterveen Friday 13th December
Manchester – HOME  |   From Friday 13th December
Dundee  – Dundee Contemporary Arts  |  From Friday 13th December
York – City Screen Picturehouse  |  From Friday 13th December
Liverpool – Picturehouse at FACT  |  From Friday 13th December
Liverpool – Picturehouse at FACT  |  Saturday 14th December + Q&A with Mark Oosterveen
Birmingham – The Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen  |  Saturday 14th & Sunday 15th December
Dublin – Lighthouse  |  Monday 16th & Tuesday 17th December
Reading – Biscuit Factory  |  Monday 16th & Wednesday 18th December
Bath – Little Theatre Picturehouse  |  Monday 16th December + Q&A with Pinny Grylls and Mark Oosterveen
Oxford – Phoenix Picturehouse  |  Tuesday 17th December + Q&A with Pinny Grylls and producer Rebeccca Wolff, moderated by Sarah Ellis from the Royal Shakespeare Company
London – Genesis Cinema  |  Tuesday 17th December
Cambridge – Cambridge Arts Picturehouse  |  Wednesday 18th December + Q&A with Pinny Grylls
London – BFI Southbank  |  From Friday 20th December
London – Picturehouse Central  | From Friday 20th December
Manchester – HOME  |   From Friday 20th December
Liverpool – Picturehouse at FACT  |  From Friday 20th December
London – Institute of Contemporary Arts  |  Friday 20th & Saturday 21st December
London – Finsbury Park Picturehouse  |  Friday 20th & Saturday 21st December
Belfast – Queen’s Film Theatre  |  Friday 20th & Saturday 21st December
Brighton – Picturehouse Dukes At Komedia  |  Friday 20th December
Edinburgh – Cameo Picturehouse  |  Saturday 21st & Monday 23rd December
Birmingham – The Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen  |  Saturday 21st & Sunday 22nd December
Chester – Storyhouse  |  Sunday 22nd December
London – Bertha Dochouse  |  Sunday 22nd December
London – Ritzy Picturehouse  |  Monday 23rd December
Dublin – Lighthouse  |  Friday 27th December & Thursday 2nd January
London – Picturehouse Central  | From Saturday 28th December
London – Hackney Picturehouse  |  Saturday 28th December
Norwich – Picturehouse Cinema City  |  Saturday 28th December
London – BFI Southbank  |  Saturday 28th December
Birmingham – The Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen  |  Saturday 28th & Sunday 29th December
London – Bertha Dochouse  |  Sunday 29th December
Wotton-under-Edge – Electric Picture House Cinema  |  Sunday 29th December
Portsmouth – No. 6 Cinema  |  Thursday 2nd January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Institute of Contemporary Arts  |  Friday 3rd & Saturday 4th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Bertha Dochouse  |  Saturday 4th & Wednesday 8th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Picturehouse Central  |  Saturday 4th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Garden Cinema  |  Saturday 4th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Birmingham – The Mockingbird Cinema & Kitchen  |  Saturday 4th January
Newcastle upon Tyne – Tyneside Cinema  |  From Sunday 5th January
+ Q&A with Sam Crane, Wednesday 8th January
SOLD OUT
SOLD OUT Bristol – Cube  |  Monday 6th January
Norwich – Picturehouse Cinema City  |  Monday 6th & Wednesday 8th Januar
SELLING FAST Leeds – Hyde Park Picture House  |  Tuesday 7th January
Elgin – Moray Playhouse  |  Wednesday 8th January
Plymouth – Plymouth Arts Cinema  |  Wednesday 8th & Thursday 9th January
Exeter – Phoenix  |  Wednesday 8th and Thursday 9th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Institute of Contemporary Arts  |  From Friday 10th January
Derby – QUAD  |  Saturday 11th & Sunday 12th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Bertha Dochouse  |  Sunday 12th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Ritzy Picturehouse  |  Sunday 12th January
Northampton – Filmhouse  |  Saturday 11th & Tuesday 14th January
Oxford – Ultimate Picture Palace  |  Saturday 11th & Tuesday 14th January
Inverness – Eden Court  |  Saturday 11th & Wednesday 15th January
Hebden Bridge – Hebden Bridge Picture House  |  Sunday 12th January
Fort William – Highland Cinema  |  Sunday 12th & Tuesday 14th January
SOLD OUT Bristol – Cube  |  Tuesday 14th January
Lancaster – Dukes  |  From Tuesday 14th January
Totnes – Totnes Cinema  |  From Thursday 16th January
Stirling – Macrobert Arts Centre  |  From Friday 17th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Institute of Contemporary Arts  |  From Friday 17th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Bertha Dochouse  |  Friday 17th & Monday 20th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Leeds – Hyde Park Picture House  |  Saturday 18th & Wednesday 22nd January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Dublin – Lighthouse  |  Monday 20th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Newcastle upon Tyne – Tyneside Cinema  |  From Monday 20th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Exeter – Phoenix  |  Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 29th January
Caernarfon – Galeri  |  Tuesday 21st & Wednesday 22nd January
Truro – Plaza Cinema  |  Thursday 23rd January
Leicester – Phoenix  |  Saturday 18th and Thursday 30th January
Cardiff – Chapter Arts Centre  |  From Friday 24th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND London – Institute of Contemporary Arts  |  From Friday 24th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Leeds – Hyde Park Picture House  |  Friday 24th & Thursday 30th January
Cromarty – Cromarty Cinema  |  Sunday 26th January
Warwick – Warwick Student Cinema  |  Saturday 25th January
Aldeburgh – Aldeburgh Cinema  |  Sunday 26th January
Ilkley – Ilkley Cinema  |  Sunday 26th & Thursday 30th January
BACK BY POPULAR DEMAND Newcastle upon Tyne – Tyneside Cinema  |  Tuesday 28th January
Nottingham – Bonington Theatre  |  Wednesday 29th & Thursday 30th January

 

 

 

 

__________

“When Shakespeare meets gaming, hilarity and heartbreak ensue….Innovative, highly amusing and often touching.”

Leslie Felperin
The Hollywood Reporter

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