Celebrating the 50th anniversary of Jaws, The Shark Is Broken lifts the lid on one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters

MARKING the 50th anniversary of the iconic blockbuster movie Jaws, Olivier Award-nominated production The Shark is Broken will be on stage at Lighthouse Poole.

Co-written by Joseph Nixon and Ian Shaw, it is inspired by Ian’s father Robert’s experience playing Quint in the popular 1975 movie.

It’s hailed as a brilliantly funny play which celebrates movie history as it peeks at the choppy waters behind the Hollywood blockbuster and imagines what happened on board The Orca when the cameras stopped rolling during the filming of Steven Spielberg’s epic movie.

Following its critical and sell-out success at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe in 2019, The Shark is Broken transferred to the West End in 2021 playing at the Ambassadors Theatre for a limited season where it enjoyed an extended run due to huge popular demand and an Olivier Award nomination for Best Comedy Play. In July 2023 the production transferred to Broadway for a 16-week run at the John Golden Theatre where it garnered fresh critical acclaim.

The play promises to dive into the drama behind the scenes of Hollywood’s first blockbuster, with the lead actors 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 Shark Is Broken is at Lighthouse Poole from Tuesday 29th April until Saturday 3rd May. Tickets are from £25 for more information and bookings visit lighthousepoole.co.uk or contact the box office on 01202 280000.