The Shark is Broken at Lowry
Kristy Stott, Theatre Editor
What better way to mark the 50th anniversary of Steven Spielberg’s iconic movie, Jaws, than with a dramatic dive behind the scenes into its creation.
Coming to Salford this February, The Shark is Broken is an Olivier-Award-nominated new play that celebrates Jaws’ history and takes a peek below the surface into the making of the iconic blockbuster.
Inspired by Robert Shaw’s experiences playing ‘Quint’ in Jaws, this brilliantly witty new production imagines what happened on board ‘The Orca’ when the cameras stopped rolling during filming.
Set in the open ocean in 1974, The Shark is Broken offers a glimpse at the overwrought relationship between three lead actors – theatre veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood stars Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider. Crammed into a small boat – with filming delayed – at the mercy of the weather and a faulty mechanical shark, alcohol flows, tempers flare and egos explode. The result is a sharply hilarious, exhilarating and moving 95-minute performance.
Co-written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixen, Ian Shaw also takes the role of his father, Robert Shaw, in the show, alongside Dan Fredenburgh as Roy Scheider and Ashley Margolis as Richard Dreyfuss.
Following the sell-out success of its premiere at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019, The Shark is Broken received a West End transfer in 2021. Playing at the Ambassadors Theatre, the show enjoyed an extended run and received an Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedy Play. In July 2023, the production moved over to Broadway for a 16-week run at the John Golden Theatre.
Now – on its first UK tour – it’s your chance to see this critically acclaimed show at Lowry, the only North West date to be announced so far. Dive in.
