'The Shark Is Broken' to premiere on Broadway this summer

This comedic play, a behind-the-scenes account of the mishaps that occurred during the filming of Jaws, comes to New York after runs in London and Edinburgh.

Vacation on Amity Island this summer! The Shark Is Broken, a behind-the-scenes look at the filming of Jaws, is headed to Broadway. Performances begin at the Golden Theatre on July 25 ahead of an August 10 opening night.

The Shark Is Broken is written by Joseph Nixon and Ian Shaw, the son of Robert Shaw, who starred in Jaws as the shark hunter Quint. Ian Shaw plays his father in The Shark Is Broken, and casting for the roles of Richard Dreyfuss and Roy Scheider has yet to be announced.

The play recounts the hilarious drama that brews among the three lead actors as the film the movie on Martha's Vineyard and things go less than swimmingly. Mounting problems — including bad weather and a faulty mechanical shark — bring all the men to their wits' end.

Guy Masterson directs, and the creative team also features scenic and costume designer Duncan Henderson, lighting designer Jon Clark, sound designer and composer Adam Cork, and video designer Nina Dunn.

The Shark Is Broken premiered at the Edinburgh Fringe Festival in Scotland, transferred to London's West End, and most recently made its North American premiere in Toronto. Its source material, Jaws, premiered in summer 1975 as the first "summer blockbuster" movie. Steven Spielberg directed the film, which is now regarded as a pioneering classic.

The Shark Is Broken will play a 16-week Broadway engagement.