Festival Theatre, Malvern – until 1st February 2025
Reviewed by Courie Amado Juneau
5*****
The lights go down and that music starts – daaaah-dah, daaaah-dah, dada dada… a fin goes across the rear screens sea projection and then just as things are getting exciting… you’ve guessed it, The Shark Is Broken. The play, written about the filming of Jaws (specifically the final climactic scene at sea) is co-written by actor Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon and concentrates on the actors frustration at the interminable hanging around whilst the damn shark is yet again fixed.
Ian Shaw (playing his dad Robert) gave us a heartfelt and honest portrayal which was full of genuine love and affection. It didn’t try to paint his dad as a saint and I came away really liking Mr Shaw (Sr) very much. I believe I would have thoroughly enjoyed a weekend with him, hearing his anecdotes and wisdom.
Ian looked uncannily like his father – it was astonishing – but the other actors also looked amazingly like the original actors, it was uncanny. Dan Fredenburgh (playing Roy Scheider) and Ashley Margolis (portraying Richard Dreyfuss) both gave sensational performances, far exceeding my expectations. Giving us way more than a mere impression of the actors, they truly got under the skin of the characters in full panoramic technicolor. An impressive display from everyone concerned.
There’s social commentary from the era (1975) regarding Vietnam and other contemporary events, which are exceptionally interesting. The writers cleverly weave in lots of jokes reflecting on how mad there times are and how it won’t be that mad again. The scene where they are commenting on Nixon’s legacy has a hilarious payoff which I won’t spoil, but it’s worth attending for that alone. It also casts the spotlight (pun intended) on the life of actors, the theatre and films in general. I loved these insights. Lots of jokes concerning upcoming films (which will provide a nice chance to play name that film) and at the expense of Spielberg as a wet behind the ears director.
This work is a real reminder of a simpler time when smoking and swearing were so commonplace they barely registered on the naughtiness radar. An era before CGI, of actual physical special effects – which were prone to the laws of physics, giving us the whole raison d’etre for this play! If you’ve ever wondered why the shark was so often broken, Roy will explain the physics (or pneumatics) behind it – so this is very much the play for you. Or if you just like Jaws or any of the actors, of course…
On the face of it, 3 men sitting around on a boat set with no change of scenery, no costume changes, no music or special effects to speak of, being driven half out of their skulls with boredom sounds, well, like a bit of a drag. But it’s anything but! It’s a riveting hour and a half of top quality entertainment in all respects. This ingenious script really does have something for everyone… Couple that with performances to die for and it’s honestly one of the best shows I’ve seen in a long time. Do yourself a favour and snap up a ticket while you can.