We Are Such Stuff as Dreams Are Made On

What happens when you try to perform Shakespeare inside a public lobby in Grand Theft Auto Online, a game space notorious for its aggression and gratuitous violence? You might expect the other players to respond with heavy weaponry, perhaps a mini-SMG, or a compact grenade launcher. And indeed, this is often what happens. Yet occasionally you may come across someone who responds in an entirely unexpected manner. This work explores the dramatic, political, and ethical implications of the interaction between performer and spectator, held inside the virtual realm. It recontextualises the seemingly disparate cultural spheres of classical theatre and video games, merging them to the supposed hierarchy of artistic expression.