You may well have heard that shooting the movie Jaws (1975) was hardly a walk in the park. In fact, then 26-year-old director Steven Spielberg ran into all sorts of problems.
He insisted it be shot in the ocean – the first picture filmed in that environment, rather than in a tank – making it subject to the vicissitudes of the weather. Heavy rain and wind damaged camera equipment and sank boats. Because filming was taking place in the open ocean, it also meant that shooting without other boats getting in the way was no easy feat.
Three mechanical sharks, named Bruce, malfunctioned regularly. While initially only tested in fresh water, the salt water eroded their mechanics and pneumatics. Seasickness also took a toll. So, the number of stoppages and the wait times for the actors seemed endless.
Further, the script was being rewritten as they were shooting. As a result, the film took more than 100 days longer to shoot than had been anticipated and was many millions over budget. The tension on set was palpable, notably friction between two of the three leads, Robert Shaw and Richard Dreyfuss, with Roy Scheider serving as peacemaker. And Shaw drank to excess while on set.
British playwrights Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon have captured all this in their comedic and poignant play The Shark is Broken, which premiered in London in 2019. It explores the behind-the-scenes drama in making what became one of the scariest, most influential and successful movies of all time, going on to claim three Oscars. Whilst what you see may seem extreme and comical, the basis of it is true.
The “action” picks up in the eighth week of shooting, with Shaw constantly locking horns with Dreyfuss. We learn more about each of the actors and their peccadilloes and vulnerabilities. All had father issues. Shaw was irascible and an alcoholic. Desperate for success, Dreyfuss was seeking validation as an actor. Rather dry and more emotionally detached, Scheider was obsessed with sunbathing.
The three cast members in the play (plus backstage crew who occasionally appear on stage, such as in the opening scene) do a wonderful job realising their characters. The comedic interplay and deeper and more meaningful moments are well captured. Anthony Gooley is belligerent and egotistical as Shaw, while Robin Goldsworthy is wet behind the ears, neurotic and deeply insecure as Dreyfuss. There is more of a passive detachment about Tom Stokes as Scheider.
All the action takes place on a boat named Orca, which makes for a superb, detailed, evocative set design by set and costume designer James Browne. The actual Orca used for shooting the movie was an operational 42-foot Nova Scotia, wooden-hulled lobster boat, positioned off Martha’s Vineyard. The video design showing calm and rough waters, ships and birds in the background is nicely realised by Cameron Smith.
Sound effects and dramatic original music play an important part, which Sean Peter tackles with aplomb. So too the lighting design – representing day and night, along with inclement weather – by Jasmine Rizk.
While I appreciated The Shark is Broken’s dramatisation, on occasions I found my mind wandering. I put that down to wanting a bit more to happen and yet, of course, that was the whole point of this offering. When it came to the shooting of Jaws, the actors had to find ways to kill plenty of time and that led to edginess. Well played, director Luke Joslin has made the most of the material with which he had to work.
Ninety minutes without interval, The Shark is Broken is playing at Athenaeum Theatre until 7th November, 2026.
Alex First
Other reviews you might enjoy:
- My Brother, My Brother, My Brother (theatre review)
- The Play That Goes Wrong (Athenaeum Theatre and touring) – theatre review ★★★★½
- You’re Being Dramatic (Theatre Works) – theatre review
Alex First is the editor of The Blurb. Alex is a Melbourne based journalist and communications specialist. He also contributes to The Blurb on film and theatre.
