Lili stars Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir as the titular character, with the game co-produced by her Paris-based Alambic Production
The Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC) has announced a pioneering collaboration with New York-based independent game studio iNK Stories to develop Lili, a groundbreaking video game set in contemporary Iran. The game reimagines Lady Macbeth, one of Shakespeare’s most iconic female characters, in an interactive and cinematic format that blends theatre, film, and gaming.
This marks the RSC’s first foray into the world of video gaming. Lili stars Cannes Best Actress winner Zar Amir as the titular character, with the game co-produced by her Paris-based Alambic Production. Amir, a French-Iranian actress, draws from her own lived experience as an Iranian woman in exile, having courageously faced oppression and fought for women’s rights.
Lili is described as a “screen life thriller” in which players will navigate Lady Macbeth’s personal devices, immersing themselves in a stylized neo-noir vision of modern Iran
Lili is described as a “screen life thriller” in which players will navigate Lady Macbeth’s personal devices, immersing themselves in a stylized neo-noir vision of modern Iran. The game incorporates live-action cinema within an interactive format, allowing players to make choices that shape the character’s fate. In a contemporary twist on Macbeth, the play’s witches are reimagined as hackers, with surveillance and cyber-infiltration taking center stage, offering players an unprecedented perspective on the classic story.
Vassiliki Khonsari, Co-Founder of iNK Stories, called the partnership a “landmark collaboration” that pushes the boundaries of storytelling. “A video game based on Macbeth transforms one of literature’s darkest and most compelling tales—of gender, ambition, fate, power, and morality—into an immersive, interactive experience.”
RSC Co-Artistic Directors Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey highlighted the innovative nature of the project. “Macbeth has always been exhilarating, and Lili mirrors that effect for audiences. Gaming today is what theatre has always been: a chance to explore worlds, inhabit stories, and experience something deeply personal and communal. Shifting the focus to Lady Macbeth is radical and transformative, re-examining the play’s themes of gender, identity, and power.”
Renowned Shakespeare scholar and RSC Board Member Emma Smith, who contributed to the adaptation, emphasized how Lili modernizes Macbeth while staying true to its essence. “It is both utterly Shakespearean and radically defamiliarized. Forget the notion that Shakespeare would write for Hollywood if he were alive today—Lili makes it clear he’d be writing for gaming.”
Macbeth has always been exhilarating, and Lili mirrors that effect for audiences. Gaming today is what theatre has always been: a chance to explore worlds, inhabit stories, and experience something deeply personal and communal. Daniel Evans and Tamara Harvey, RSC Co-Artistic Directors
Currently in development, Lili is slated for release in late 2025 and will be available across gaming platforms.
The project builds on iNK Stories’ legacy of innovative storytelling, following its critically acclaimed 1979 Revolution: Black Friday, which earned over 20 industry accolades, including a BAFTA nomination and recognition from UNESCO. The studio, founded by Navid and Vassiliki Khonsari, is known for creating emotionally rich and narratively compelling experiences that bridge the worlds of cinema and gaming.
Alambic Production, established by Zar Amir in 2019, is dedicated to hosting international projects with a particular focus on Middle Eastern cultures. The company has been instrumental in productions such as Holy Spider, which garnered widespread acclaim for its portrayal of early 2000s Iran.
The collaboration aligns with the RSC’s mission to bring people together through powerful storytelling that deepens understanding of human nature. Founded in 1879 and later expanded under Sir Peter Hall, the RSC continues to push artistic boundaries, producing both classical and contemporary works across its three permanent theatres in Stratford-upon-Avon, as well as through digital and global initiatives.
Lili exemplifies the convergence of art forms, demonstrating how video games can serve as a powerful medium for storytelling. With its unique blend of Shakespearean drama and modern technological themes, the game is poised to offer an unparalleled interactive experience that resonates with contemporary audiences.
