The historic first summer blockbuster movie is being filmed – but no one working on the film would know it. Dive deep into the tumultuous, murky waters of the making of a major motion picture with dueling co-stars, unpredictable weather and a shark prop whose constant breakdowns are looking like an omen for the future of the movie. In this comedy written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, the short tempers and short circuits of Jaws stars Robert Shaw (father of the play’s co-author Ian), Richard Dreyfuss, and Roy Scheider take center stage as they bond, argue, drink, gamble and pray for an end to the film shoot, not knowing it will change their lives forever.
The Shark Is Broken premiered in Brighton, England at the Rialto Theatre on 24 July 2019. Shortly thereafter, the production transferred to the 2019 Edinburgh Festival Fringe, opening at the Assembly George Square Studios on 2 August 2019. Directed by Guy Masterson, the production starred Ian Shaw as his own father, English actor Robert Shaw, Liam Murray Scott as Richard Dreyfuss and Duncan Henderson as Roy Scheider. The play then premiered in the West End at the Ambassadors Theatre on 9 October 2021. The later Broadway production of the play opened at the John Golden Theatre on 10 August 2023. Ian Shaw reprised his role as his father alongside Alex Brightman as Dreyfuss and Colin Donnell as Scheider, and Shaw continues to take on his father’s persona as the play tours the UK and Ireland in 2025.