The Shark is Broken
Theatre Royal Brighton
until Saturday 12th April
The Shark Is Broken is a comedy written by British playwrights Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon which explores the behind-the-scenes drama that took place during the filming of the 1975 film Jaws, which was directed by Steven Spielberg and starred Shaw’s father, Robert Shaw, as well as Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss.
These three actors are stuck together on the boat Orca because Bruce, the mechanical shark used in the film, is broken. Filming has consequently been stalled for several days, turning into weeks. The Shark Is Broken explores the three actors’ boredom, arguments, and stories told aboard the boat during the delay.
The Shark Is Broken premiered on 24 July 2019 at the Rialto Theatre in Brighton where it returns after a meteoric rise via Edinburgh, London’s West End where it was nominated for an Olivier, Broadway and Toronto.
On a stunning set designed by Duncan Henderson accompanied by an exquisite video backdrop by Nina Dunn, the cast of three takes us on a journey backstage with all the associated humour, angst and inevitable arguments. The cross section of the fishing vessel is beautifully realised and gives the impression a hungry shark might have got to it first.
The three performances are quite simply stellar. Ashley Margolis is excellent as the slightly nerdy, cocaine-fuelled manic-depressive (Dreyfuss) and Dan Fredenburgh is uncanny as the consummate actor (Scheider) who gradually becomes more and more tanned as he makes the most of the unscheduled breaks by worshipping the occasional sun.
However, it is Ian Shaw who steals the show with his extraordinary impersonation of his own alcoholic genius father. His portrayal is loving and genuinely evocative. Unsurprisingly he has most of the best lines and there are some lovely and pertinent references to his paternal relationship including his father hoping that he lives longer than his own father, who killed himself at the age of 52. The actor never got his wish as he died of a heart attack at the age of 51.
Of course with the gift of hindsight the writers are able to play with the historical perspective on such subjects as Richard Nixon’s achievements as President and him being the worst president the US will ever have, and that Jaws will sink without trace. At one point Scheider declares that he definitely won’t appear in any sequel (he did), and Shaw derides the subject of Steven Spielberg’s next picture: “Aliens? What next, dinosaurs?”.
This is a wonderful production although knowledge of the original film is probably a pre-requisite so go and see it despite the warning – Just when you thought it was safe to go back in the water…
