Jaws | ChicanePictures

Signed Drawing of Ian Shaw, Liam Murray Scott and Demetri Goritas in The Shark Is Broken at the Ambassadors Theatre on London's West End

Duunn…dunnn…duuuunnnn…duun…duuunnunnunnn…dun…dun…dun…dun.

Martha’s Vineyard, 1974, shooting on twenty-six year old Steven Spielberg’s blockbuster JAWS has stalled. The film’s lead actors – Robert Shaw, Roy Scheider and Richard Dreyfuss – are stuck in a boat at the mercy of the bad weather and a faulty mechanical co-star.

JAWS finally swam into the West End, to the Ambassadors Theatre, courtesy of Sonia Friedman in the form of the play, THE SHARK IS BROKEN, the hilarious and moving behind-the-scenes drama based on the problems caused by filming on the Atlantic Ocean with the salt water playing havoc with the pneumatic components of the mechanical shark, nicknamed ‘Bruce’ after the director’s lawyer. With the budget spiralling out of control, cast and crew had a lot of time to kill, including the stars, fuelling a combustive dynamic with alcohol and ambition.

After a sell-out, critically acclaimed run at The Edinburgh Fringe Festival in 2019 an extended version, written by Robert’s son Ian Shaw and comedy writer Joseph Nixon, directed by Guy Masterson was due to open in London last year. Suspended for 16 months due to the pandemic lockdowns the production opened this year on 9 November to rave reviews. I was amongst the matinee audience last Saturday that gave a standing ovation. The season has already been extended due to popular demand…omicron variant willing.

Ian has an uncanny resemblance to his father’s character, especially poignant in the closing scene when he delivers his famous ‘Indianapolis’ speech. Liam Murray Scott is marine biologist Matt Hooper, both reprising their Edinburgh roles. They are joined by Demetri Goritas as Amity police chief Martin Brody, the mediator between Robert and Richard.

All three cast members signed my sketch after the opening night performance on 9 November at the theatre’s stage door.

I’ve posted two signed John Williams’ sketches; the first was the celebrated Australian classical guitarist, the second, the Executive Chef at London’s iconic Ritz Hotel. However, my attempt at the hat-trick was not successful. Here is the drawing anyway.

The 89 year-old maestro, John Williams, considered one of the greatest and most influential film composers of all time, producing the most popular, recognisable and acclaimed movie scores over the past seven decades (including JAWS, the STAR WARS sagas, CLOSE ENCOUNTERS OF THE THIRD KIND, ET, THE EXTRA TERRESTRIAL,the INDIANA JONES and JURASSIC film franchises and SCHINDLER’S LIST to name only a handful). He has won 25 Grammys, five Oscars, seven BAFTAs, four Golden Globes, three Emmys and a myriad of other accolades, which sums up his spectacular contribution to film music. His 52 Academy Award nominations are the second most by an individual, behind Walt Disney. He has had a long association with Steven Spielberg since 1974 scoring all but five of his feature films.

I’ve had the privilege of meeting the maestro once, when he and George Lucas were at ShoWest in Las Vegas in the 1990s. He was conducting the local symphony orchestra performing a number of STAR WARS medleys. From 1983 to 1993 John was principal conductor of the Boston Pops succeeding Arthur Fiedler. While there he signed a card for me adding the opening few bars of the infamous dum dum dum dum Intro to JAWS. A few years ago I sent this sketch to his agent hoping to get it signed, but unfortunately it wasn’t possible.

John was scheduled to conduct the London Symphony Orchestra in October 2018 which gave me an opportunity to get the drawing signed in person, but due to a last minute illness he was unable to attend.