Sonia Friedman has today announced that The Shark is Broken has recouped, as the critically acclaimed play comes to a triumphant end at the Ambassadors Theatre.
Like the famously turbulent shoot of the movie JAWS, The Shark is Broken made it to the West End against all odds after the initial 2020 run was postponed due to the pandemic, before steering a course through the many crises and disruptions the theatre industry has faced since.
Audiences have been thrilled by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s funny and moving play directed by Guy Masterson, which reveals the backstage drama on the movie JAWS, with many travelling across the country to watch the production. The Shark is Broken was extended by a month due to popular demand but must end this Sunday 13 February.
Producer Sonia Friedman said: ‘‘It has been a hugely challenging time to open a new play in the West End, but I am immensely proud of all we achieved with ‘The Shark is Broken’, which recently recouped despite – well – everything. This is a real achievement in these unprecedented times, and its success is worth commenting on. For a show to make the jump from the Edinburgh Fringe to the West End is a remarkable feat at the best of times. To do so in these circumstances is utterly extraordinary – and a testament to the sheer crowd-pleasing brilliance of Ian and Joseph’s play.
I want to say a huge thank you to the entire team at the Ambassadors Theatre – the fantastic cast and their brilliant understudies, the stage management team and the entire backstage staff and crew, all front of house staff and box office, creatives, associates and the SFP team – all of whom worked tirelessly and with such passion and commitment over the past months to keep the show going, sometimes in unimaginably difficult circumstances. I also want to say a massive thank you to our audiences, who have travelled from far and wide to support us. We certainly hope this is not the end of the story and fully expect ‘The Shark is Broken’ to have a long life ahead. Watch this space.”
Ian Shaw plays his father Robert Shaw in The Shark is Broken alongside Liam Murray Scott as Richard Dreyfuss, and Demetri Goritsas as Roy Scheider.
Martha’s Vineyard, 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…
The Shark is Broken is co-produced with Scott Landis, GFour Productions, Larry Magid, Tulchin Bartner Productions in association with Jane Bergère.
