With it’s cinematic living-breathing backdrop of the ocean and the sky and a cut through replica of The Orca, the, too small, shark hunting boat featured in the 1970s blockbuster film Jaws, Duncan Henderson’s set is a winner from the very outset of the play The Shark Is Broken.

Through a series of dramatic, funny and thought-provoking scenes the three principal actors in Jaws, Richard Dreyfuss (Ashley Margolis), Roy Scheider ( Dan Fredenburgh) and Robert Shaw (Ian Shaw) keep us more than engaged in a ninety five minutes long examination of established and not so established stage and screen actors cooped up together afloat on the ocean for indeterminate lengths of time. Ian Shaw and Joseph Nixon’s script draws us in to the character’s discourses, self examinations and sharply funny expositions often fuelled by whisky, rum and rampant egos. All three brilliant actors totally nail their parts to the point we often forget we are watching modern day actors portraying real life actors working during the mid 1970s on an unknown filmic property directed by a very young Stephen Spielberg who is voiced but never seen.

Even if you have never seen Jaws we recommend you give this superb drama a try. And then go and watch Jaws on a streaming media channel near you. You won’t regret it and it will make you realise just how clever and insightful The Shark Is Broken is.

The Shark Is Broken swims at Nottingham Theatre Royal until 1st March.