Olivier Award nominated THE SHARK IS BROKEN to debut in Sydney and Melbourne

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.

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

For further information visit sharkisbroken.com.au

Gabi Bergman

Gabi Bergman (she/her) is a Melbourne-based performer and educator, and the current Deputy Editor-in-Chief of AussieTheatre.com. She holds a double degree in Theatre Studies and Film/Screen Studies, along with a Master of Teaching (Secondary Education). A passionate advocate for inclusion and diversity in the arts, Gabi brings her deep love of storytelling to the stage, the page, and the classroom. A lifelong lover of theatre, she spends more on tickets than she’d like to admit. Her most prized possession is her ever-growing collection of theatre programs.