The Shark Is Broken, written by Joseph Nixon & Ian Shaw, Directed by UK Tour Director Martha Geelan, 10 – 18 May 2025, The Rep, Birmingham (and touring), 5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: Dan Auluk.

Photo Credit: Manual Harlan.

The Shark Is Broken, written by Joseph Nixon & Ian Shaw, Directed by UK Tour Director Martha Geelan, 10 – 18 May 2025, The Rep, Birmingham (and touring),

5☆☆☆☆☆. Review: Dan Auluk.

“A fun, fast paced and enjoyable evening – well worth a second visit.”

“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.”

In 2017, Ian Shaw read a drinking diary his father kept and went on to research the difficulties in making the film JAWS and found a story to tell; of one of cinemas most surprising box office successes. A film about a shark attack. Unpacking a slither of the private world of his father must have been a brave and difficult process, clearly handled with care, wit and raw honesty.

From Broadway to the UK, it was a privilege to watch The Shark is Broken currently on a UK & Ireland tour. Bravo to The Rep for offering something more conceptual and refreshing than bringing just a blockbuster film to stage, which I feel does not always translate well.

Co-written by Jospeh Nixon and Ian Shaw (son of Robert Shaw) playing his dad, was a real treat. Ian Shaw’s performance was brilliantly authentic and astounding; it felt I was watching Robert Shaw himself. The comic timing and the physicality of performances were at the top of their game! The nuances of the characters from the film JAWS were effortless with a brilliant comedic and raw performance from Ashley Margolis (Richard Dreyfuss) and a calm understated much needed performance, to create balance by Dan Fredenburgh (Roy Scheider). The exploration of the characters relationship with their fathers would have been something that could have been explored – perhaps? Nevertheless, this fast paced, very witty and clever script was non-stop fun. There are some poignant quiet moments too.

The set design was sublime with video imaging capturing the mood of the original film, in a triptych of screens in the background; congrats to the video designer Nina Dunn. The video screes gave a real sense of time passing and nostalgia without overdoing it. Less is more. Let’s not forget how brilliantly authentic the actors looked – a congrats to Hair, Wigs and Makeup by Carole Hancock.

The structure of the sound devised worked well and not detracting from the performances and added, at times the quietness needed, in the calm waters of being on location whilst poor “shark’ is being repaired.

I very much enjoyed the film references, the difficulties of acting, dealing with the slow process of filmmaking and the clash between the younger and older actors; and poor Roy Scheider in the thick of all this works well. The comedy was sharp and full of wit. There is an exploration of sorts, of people coming together from different lived experiences stuck on set for 9 weeks! We get to find out more insights into the making of JAWS and the history and stories behind the scenes, both politically of the time and how actors try to work together out their differences. Do you have to see the original JAWS film? – I would say yes but go see this is anyway, it’s fun.

I especially enjoyed how the Robert Shaw’s character pessimistically remarks on box office failures and says (forgive my paraphrasing here) “… in the future there will be sequels, and remakes and remakes of sequels … a film about aliens?! Whatever next dinosaurs!” – brilliant! I also found the script very funny when we get to learn more about the shark repairs and issues with the reluctance of reading the screenplay by Shaw. We do finish with a quiet, undisturbed ending scene that allows us to breathe and admire once again.

The directing of this brilliant endearing and engaging play, 50 years after the film JAWS was released is a success; a timely reminder as to how brilliant and enlightening theatre can be! Well worth a second visit; as we are treated to a witty, faced past (90 minutes) behind the scenes character exploration of the three main stars of JAWS, housed within a sublime and intimate set design with the boat that needs to be bigger – the ORCA. The theatre was fully packed with audiences who thoroughly laughed all the way through and a gave a roaring standing ovation at the end; and very well deserved!

Cast

Robert Shaw - Ian Shaw

Roy Scheider - Dan Fredenburgh

Richard Dreyfuss - Ashley Margolis

Understudies -

Robert Shaw - Owen Oldroyd

Richard Dreyfuss/Roy Scheider - Adam Clifford

Creatives

Based on Original Direction By - Guy Masterson

Co-writers – Ian Shaw & Joseph Nixon

UK Tour Director - Martha Geelan

Set and Costume Designer - Duncan Henderson

Lighting Designer - Jon Clark

Sound Designer and Original Music  - Adam Cork

Video - Designer - Nina Dunn

Casting Director - Ellie Collyer-Bristow CDG

Hair, Wigs and Makeup - Carole Hancock

Associate Director - Molly Stacey

Associate Sound - James Melling