Set an alert and we'll tell you when more tickets go on sale.
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. Awash with alcohol and ambition, three hammered sharks start to bare their teeth…
Ian Shaw (War Horse and Common, National Theatre) stars as his father Robert Shaw. He is joined by Liam Murray Scott as Richard Dreyfuss (reprising the role he performed at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival 2019), and Demetri Goritsas (ear for eye, Royal Court; Black Mirror, Netflix) as Roy Scheider.
Directed by Guy Masterson, THE SHARK IS BROKEN reveals the hilarious behind-the-scenes drama on one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters. After a sell-out, critically acclaimed premiere at the 2019 Edinburgh Fringe, Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s brilliantly funny must end its run on 13 February – don’t miss it.
Recommended for ages 12+ Running time 1 Hour 10 Minutes (No Interval)
Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water… Here comes a play with a ferocious bite, all about the making of one of the most iconic blockbusters of all time: Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. Book The Shark is Broken tickets now for its West End run — if you dare.
Go behind the scenes of Jaws with this revealing new play, which made a real splash at the Edinburgh Festival in 2019 and now comes to London’s Ambassadors Theatre. It’s the brainchild of Ian Shaw, son of Jaws film star Robert Shaw, who got a first-hand look at how the drama off-camera came to rival the gripping drama on film.
The Shark is Broken play is set in 1974, as Spielberg attempted to capture his thrilling tale of a great white shark terrorising the inhabitants of Amity Island. But the movie relied on the use of mechanical sharks — and they just kept malfunctioning, ballooning the budget and grinding the shoot to a halt.
That meant Robert Shaw and co-stars Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss were stranded on the Atlantic Ocean for hours, subject to increasingly terrible weather. Inevitably, that led to arguments between them, exacerbated by Shaw’s alcoholism. Join the trio on their boat, the Orca, for an unforgettable ride: The Shark is Broken London run is now on sale.
This fascinating behind-the-scenes look at the famous blockbuster is co-written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon. Shaw plays his father, Robert, a role he will be reprising in The Shark is Broken West End production. Guy Masterson directs and Sonia Friedman produces this encore run of a show that the team knew was gonna need a bigger theatre.
Book your The Shark is Broken tickets now and dive into a tale that blends backstage comedy and thriller with existential drama.
90 minutes without interval
October 9th, 2021
February 13th, 2022
Play, Comedy
Ambassadors Theatre
12+
Tickets are not currently available. Set an alert and we'll tell you when more tickets go on sale.
Apple, the Apple logo, iPhone, and iPad are trademarks of Apple Inc., registered in the U.S. and other countries and regions. App Store is a service mark of Apple Inc. Google Play and the Google Play logo are trademarks of Google LLC.