THE SHARK IS BROKEN
By Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon
When the shark won’t work, the drama does
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Evening Standard
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sunday Mirror
★ ★ ★ ★ ★ Sunday Express
★ ★ ★ ★ The Times
★ ★ ★ ★ The Telegraph
Olivier Award nominated THE SHARK IS BROKEN will make its Australian debut in Sydney and Melbourne from August 2026. This fictional piece centred around the making of JAWS is described as “hilariously brilliant and pure genius” (Sunday Express, ★★★★★) and has been co-written by Ian Shaw, the son of JAWS actor Robert Shaw.
THE SHARK IS BROKEN is a razor-sharp, laugh-out-loud play about fame, failure, and friendship under pressure – an edgy, once is a lifetime theatrical treat that proves the biggest drama was never in the water.
FADE IN: The open ocean, 1974. Filming is delayed…again. 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.
“Sensational! In between jokes and tasty movie trivia, this is a story of fathers, sons, mortality and legacy” Mashable
“So vivid you can almost smell the salt air” Deadline
Casting announcements will be made in coming weeks.
StoreyBoard Entertainment & Stoddart Entertainment Group presents THE SHARK IS BROKEN
Foundry Theatre (at the Sydney Lyric Theatre)
Friday 28 August to Sunday 11 October 2026
Athenaeum Theatre, Melbourne
Thursday 15 October to Sunday 8 November 2026
Creative Team
Luke Joslin – Director
James Browne – Set and Costume Design
Lighting Design – Jasmine Rizk
Original Music – Sean Peter
Production Manager – Alex Duffy
Tickets from $75
For further information visit https://sharkisbroken.com.au or follow us on Instagram and facebook @sharkisbrokenau
