You may have wondered why, in Steven Spielberg’s 1974 movie, Jaws, you rarely see a shark! All is revealed in this very entertaining play by Ian Shaw, son of one of the film’s stars, Robert Shaw, first seen at the Rialto Theatre in Brighton in 2019, before journeying to the Edinburgh Festival Fringe and London’s West End, where it had a highly successful run in 2021.
Ian Shaw got the idea for the play whilst reading his father’s ‘drinking diaries’ which recalled the many days spent on a small cabin cruiser ‘The Orca’ moored off Martha’s Vineyard waiting for at least one of the three mechanical sharks to function properly so that shooting could take place. These sharks, christened Bruce, cost $500,000 and had been thoroughly tested in fresh water where they operated perfectly, but not in sea water, which quickly corroded all moving parts!
His play chronicles how the play’s principal actors, Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss spent their time whilst endlessly waiting – for weeks! – to film scenes with Bruce. It is well written and constructed by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, often being very amusing, giving the audience an insight into not only the filming of a Hollywood epic, but also how the characters interrelated. The set is cleverly designed by Duncan Henderson to show a longitudinal section through the boat, with a moving seascape behind, evocatively lit by Jon Clark, and this revival has been slickly directed by Martha Geelan.
Ian Shaw himself plays his father, Robert, very convincingly, even if his rapid descent into alcoholism is tragically and often painfully portrayed. When sober he is delightful, when drunk much less so. His various arguments with Richard Dreyfuss are exceedingly believable, even if Dreyfuss himself, when he saw the play, said that it was a caricature of what really happened. Ashley Margolis plays Dreyfuss as a tedious bore, full of his own importance and with no time for anyone else. His persona is so irritating that we sympathise totally with Shaw’s endlessly trying to goad him into demonstrating how immature he is. Margolis is endlessly watchable, as is Dan Fredenburgh as Roy Scheider, but for a different reason: Scheider is a much more likeable character, quiet, down to earth, just treating movie acting as another job, which he happens to enjoy and which he does well. Fredenburgh is totally convincing in role – relaxed, amazingly calm!
The Shark is Broken runs for 95 minutes without an interval, but is so involving that it does not seem that long. It is inventive and witty and clearly much appreciated by the large Monday night audience at Brighton. Highly recommended for all shark lovers!
Review by John Groves
FADE IN: The open ocean, 1974. Filming is delayed…again. The lead actors – theatre veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood hotshots Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider – are crammed into a too-small boat, entirely at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Alcohol flows, egos collide, and tempers flare on a chaotic voyage that just might lead to cinematic magic…if it doesn’t sink them all.
Ian Shaw – Robert Shaw
Dan Fredenburg – Roy Scheider
Ashley Margolis – Richard Dreyfyss
Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon
Tour Director – Martha Geelan, based on original direction by Guy Masterson
Set and Costume Design – Duncan Henderson
Lighting Design – Jon Clark
Sound Design – Adam Cork
Video Design – Nina Dunn
Assistant Director – Molly Stacey
Associate Sound Designer – James Melling
THE SHARK IS BROKEN
Theatre Royal Brighton
Monday 7 to Saturday 12 April 2025
UK and Ireland tour continues to 17 May 2025
