Brave the choppy waters of one of Hollywood’s biggest blockbusters in a new play that goes behind-the-scenes of Jaws.

Acclaimed comedy the Shark is Broken, based on the making of Steven Spielberg's 1975 monster movie, is setting sail on its first nationwide tour – including five nights in Canterbury.

The play stars Ian Shaw as his father, Robert Shaw, whose stories from the infamous fishing boat The Orca inspired the story.

Audiences join veteran actor Robert, who plays grizzled local shark hunter Quint in the feature film, alongside Richard Dreyfuss as methodical oceanographer Matt Hooper and Roy Scheider as Amity Island police chief Martin Brody on the set in 1974.

While the mechanical shark undergoes yet another repair, the three actors are forced to spend endless hours crammed onto a small boat with only each other and the occasional cameraman for company.

Film fans will be all too familiar with the heart-stopping story of Jaws, but this hilarious new show, which was nominated for the Olivier Award for Best Comedy Play in 2021, gives theatre-goers a glimpse into what happened when the cameras stopped rolling.

It’s based on real-life stories from revered Shakespearean actor Robert Shaw, who wasn’t too keen on the role at first but was encouraged to join the action-packed thriller by his wife.

Their son, Ian, took his father’s experiences from more than 50 years ago and, along with co-writer Joseph Nixon, turned them into a fresh new comedy.

Get great deals on comedies like The Play That Goes Wrong and John Cleese’s Fawlty Towers by booking with Kent Tickets.

Jaws was released in June 1975 and was regarded as Hollywood’s first ‘summer blockbuster’ due to its extensive marketing, wide theatrical run and popularity.

It became the highest-grossing film of all time until the release of Star Wars in 1977 and won three Academy Awards, including Best Original Score by John Williams.

The Shark is Broken is at the Marlowe Theatre from Tuesday, March 11 to Saturday, March 15. You can book tickets online here.

You can also book tickets by calling 01227 787787.