Two-time Tony-nominee Alex Brightman (“Beetlejuice”) and Colin Donnell (“Chicago Med”) are joining the cast of Broadway-bound “The Shark Is Broken,” a comedy based on the making of Stephen Spielberg’s 1975 blockbuster smash “Jaws,” based on a best-selling novel of the same name by Peter Benchley.
However, we have a feeling everyone will feel safe going into the water after this play.
In “The Shark Is Broken,” Brightman will portray Richard Dreyfuss, with Donnell cast as Roy Scheider. They will be joining the previously announced Ian Shaw, who will play his own father, Robert Shaw. In the original film, Shaw played shark hunter, Quint, while Dreyfuss and Scheider played Chief Hooper and Matt Brody, respectively.
The script is co-written by Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon, and will be directed by Guy Masterson. It will be a comedic reimaging of what happened on board “The Orca” when the cameras stopped rolling while filming “Jaws.” “The Shark Is Broken” is even a reference to how often the very expensive animatronic shark was busted during the film’s production.
The play debuted in 2019 at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe. In 2021, it opened on the West End, and received good reviews and an Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedy Play. It is produced by Sonia Friedman Productions, Scott Landis, and GFour Productions.
“The Shark Is Broken” will begin previews July 25th for a limited 16-week engagement at the John Golden Theatre. The play will then officially open on August 10th, 2023.
We’ll keep you posted about updates on this production as they become available.
