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  • Running time 95 minutes (no interval)
  • Age guidelines 14+

The Shark is Broken - Tour Dates

Performance information is for guidance only. Check booking calendar for details.

Get tickets to The Shark is Broken – UK Tour

Following sold-out, critically acclaimed runs at the Edinburgh Fringe and in the West End, The Shark is Broken is touring the UK in 2025.

This acclaimed, Olivier Award-nominated comedy reveals the hilarious and moving behind-the-scenes drama on one of Hollywood’s all-time biggest blockbusters, Steven Spielberg’s Jaws. 

The lead actors – theatre veteran Robert Shaw and young Hollywood hotshots Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider – are crammed into a too-small boat, entirely at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Alcohol flows, egos collide, and tempers flare on a chaotic voyage that just might lead to cinematic magic… if it doesn’t sink them all.

The show stars Ian Shaw (War Horse, Common) as his father, Robert Shaw, with Dan Fredenburgh (An Inspector Calls, Noises Off, Donovan) as Roy Scheider, and Ashley Margolis (The Band’s Visit, Disney’s Beauty and the Beast) as Richard Dreyfuss.

Step aboard the Orca and into this “profound dive behind the scenes of the making of Jaws” (The Daily Telegraph, ★★★★).

The Shark is Broken is touring the UK in 2025 – see initial dates, below.

Cape Cod, 1974: shooting on ‘Jaws’ has stalled. The film’s lead actors – Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss – are stuck on a boat, at the mercy of foul weather and a faulty mechanical co-star. Awash with alcohol and ambition, three hammered sharks start to bare their teeth…

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Stars and Creatives

Who is in the cast of The Shark is Broken?

Starring Ian Shaw as his father, Robert Shaw, Dan Fredenburgh as Roy Scheider and Ashley Margolis as Richard Dreyfuss

Who are the creative team of The Shark is Broken?

Written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon

Directed by Martha Geelan, based on original direction by Guy Masterson.

Set and costume design by Duncan Henderson, lighting design by Jon Clark, sound design by Adam Cork, video design by Nina Dunn. Assistant director Molly Stacey, associate sound designer James Melling.

Important Notes

Content warning: This production features strong language and reference to alcohol and drugs

Venue Information

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Critics' reviews of The Shark is Broken

★★★★★ "Did I mention waves? Get ready for this play to make some. Do they need a bigger boat? Actually, I think they are going to need a bigger theatre — and soon" - The Times (West End)

★★★★★ "This play packs plenty of bite." - Metro (West End)

★★★★ "Something unexpectedly profound and emotionally serrated lurks below the apparently frothy surface of this dive behind the scenes of the making of JAWS" - The Telegraph (West End)

★★★★ "This play deserves a life beyond the Fringe; yes, they’re going to need a bigger theatre" - The Arts Desk (West End)

★★★★ "An intoxicating combination of behind-the-scenes gossip and contemplation of the nature of popular art" - The Stage (West End)

Frequently Asked Questions

The running time of The Shark is Broken is 95 minutes (no interval)
The age recommendations for The Shark is Broken are: 14+
Yes, The Shark is Broken has matinee performances on the following days:
No, sorry, The Shark is Broken has now completed its run and is no longer on sale.

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