The Shark Is Broken

Martha’s Vineyard, 1974.  Shooting on Jaws has stalled.  The film’s lead actors – Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss – are stuck on a boat, at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star, whom the film crew had nicknamed ‘Bruce’. Awash with alcohol and ambition, three hammered sharks start to bare their teeth…  Nominated for Best Comedy Play at the 2022 Olivier Awards, The Shark is Broken is co-written by Robert Shaw’s son Ian Shaw (who also stars in the show; appropriately, Robert Shaw was also both a playwright and actor) and Joseph Nixon, this brilliantly funny play reveals the hilarious and moving behind-the-scenes drama on one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters.  But The Shark is Broken is much more than just about the making of a film. It is a meditation on the relationship of fathers and sons, on the craft and art of acting, on camaraderie, on the magic of sitting around a table sharing stories.

The play’s original London cast will reprise their roles in Toronto.  Ian Shaw stars as Robert Shaw, Demetri Goritsas stars as Roy Scheider and Liam Murray Scott stars as Richard Dreyfuss.