The Shark is Broken - The Lowry

THE theme of this iconic movie still sends a shiver down my spine more than half a century after it was made.

In terms of its central characters they are a perfect blend of different personalities and by far the most interesting is the shark hunter Quint, played by British actor Robert Shaw.

Before seeing this play I had no idea Shaw was in fact a Brit and had appeared on stage at Stratford in plays by one William Shakespeare.

The film may be branded a classic these days, but its making was severely delayed for several months by a host of technical problems, stemming from the fact the fake shark used wouldn’t work properly. Apparently a real one would have been out of the question due to the volatile temperament of these sinister, creepy creatures.

Co-written by Shaw’s son Ian, The Shark is Broken gives us as an illuminating and at times hilarious insight into what have been like for Shaw senior and the flick’s other co-stars, Roy Schneider and Richard Dreyfuss as they struggle to cope with months of relentless boredom as the film crew work tirelessly to make the shark work properly.

Robert Shaw is by far the most interesting character who delights in putting down Dreyfuss who he evidently regards as the irritating itch he would love to scratch. While the conversations that took place on the good ship/prison ship Orca exist only in the imagination of Shaw and co-writer Joseph Nixon, the script also makes references to real events, like Robert Shaw’s battle with alcoholism and his father’s suicide which took place when he was just 12 years old.

Ian Shaw, Dan Fredenburgh and Ashley Margolis bearing an uncanny resemblance to the original three stars and there’s an aura of the big screen which is sure to make you feel like you’re watching a film about people struggling to make a film. In fact I guarantee you’ll be doing a double take when they first appear on stage, at least when Shaw and Fredenburgh, wearing Chief Brody’s sensible specs.

While it helps if you’ve seen Jaws its not essential. One reason why enjoyed The Shark is Broken is it whisks us back to an age when celebrities had a certain mystique about them. Imagine, if you can, a world with social media.

Until February 8. Tickets are available from 0343 208 6000 and you can also book online at www.thelowry.com.

Star rating - ****

Photo by Manuel Harlan.