Three men in a boat: Tom Stokes, Robin Goldsworthy and Anthony Gooley. Photo: David Hooley
Put three near strangers in a boat, all of whom have healthy egos, keep them cooped up on said boat for weeks and tensions are bound to arise. And that’s exactly what happens in The Shark is Broken, a 90-minute (mostly) comedic show that is directly inspired by what happened on set during the making in 1974 of the movie Jaws. In the play, as in real life, the mechanical shark – nicknamed Bruce (after the film’s director Steven Spielberg’s lawyer, Bruce Ramer) – is a non-starter, constantly breaking down and refusing to eat or scare anyone, which holds up production and keeps our three men in a boat. And on edge.
So as Roy Scheider (Chief Brody), Richard Dreyfuss (Matt Hooper), and Robert Shaw (Quint), we have Tom Stokes, Robin Goldsworthy and Anthony Gooley enacting the roles of those three stars. Also an absolute star in this production is the set, a wonderful reaction of the ‘Orca’ afloat off Amity Harbour and subject to a range of weather conditions, so credits right up front to set and costume designer James Browne, evocative lighting courtesy of Jasmine Rizk, great sound design from Sean Peter and video from Cameron Smith. I can’t imagine this show working so well without such a vivid backdrop. Which is not to detract in any way from the performances of the three actors.
That there was animosity on the film set between Scottish ‘old school’ actor Robert Shaw and the up-and-coming and supremely confident Richard Dreyfuss became something of a legend after the successful reception of Jaws in 1975, and of course it is re-imagined here – and to great effect. Apparently, Spielberg thought the tensions between the pair were good because they translated well on the screen. In this production, their animus translates to comedy with Gooley’s Shaw constantly taunting and belittling Goldsworthy’s Dreyfuss. Lots of smart dialogue to make us laugh. Stokes’ Scheider, meanwhile, who usually has his nose in a newspaper, which serves to remind us of the times – Nixon’s resignation and the Vietnam War – becomes the reluctant and calmer referee.
There are so many ‘Easter eggs’ in this show (the in-jokes and details that reference another film or foreshadow an event the audience will know) and, with all the wisdom of hindsight, they are very amusing, too. Also, a Shakespearean speech by Gooley’s Quint precedes a very Lear-esque ‘all-shaking thunder’ storm. Funny, too, that the real-life Scheider, Dreyfuss and Shaw had no idea that Jaws would become such a seminal film and worried it would be a doozy, certainly not something that would enhance their careers. ‘Do you really think people are going to be talking about this film in 50 years?’ asks one.
And then there are the less comedic moments, when the characters, worn down by delays (and in Quint’s case, drink), wonder about their chosen profession and what it means – or doesn’t mean – to be an actor. It’s aqua-therapy in the boat cave. The trio share information about their different family backgrounds, what was expected of them, what they think they have become – or will become. And (just as in the film), what it is that has made Quint so determined to hunt down sharks.
Shaw/Gooley’s struggle and eventual mastery of Quint’s USS Indianapolis speech, where, late at night under the swaying light of the Orca, he recalls the 1945 tragedy of that ship’s sinking after a torpedo attack by the Japanese is what drives him. And sobers the mood. More than 1000 men were thrown in the sea, the ship’s mission had been so secret (they had successfully delivered parts for the Hiroshima bomb) that no one was monitoring it, and by the time rescue came two-thirds of the crew had been eaten alive by sharks. Only 300 survived, Quint being one of them.
Mostly though, this is a show that will make you smile. You don’t have to rewatch Jaws to enjoy it (though I was glad I did, and I was surprised at how well it stands up after 50 years). It is worth noting that Robert Shaw’s son is one of the co-writers here: Ian Shaw along with Joseph Nixon. And just in case you are wondering, bits of ‘Bruce’ do make the occasional appearance, along with that ominous two-note bassline, which is now indelibly linked to shark attacks!
Until 12 September
Tickets: $89-$125 plus booking fees
More: https://sharkisbroken.com.au
