The movie made a whole generation scared to go into the water, but a new version of Jaws coming to Wynnum Fringe is all about fun, not fear.
Jaws For Kids! is a comedy created for young children and families by Act React, a Brisbane-based company known for spinning hilarious homages to Hollywood blockbusters.
Their other shows include Speed: The Movie, The Play; Titanic: The Movie, The Play; Die Hard: The Movie, The Play; and Love/Hate Actually.
“We wanted to take what works so well with those big pop culture-inspired shows, and distil it into a performance designed especially for kids,” said writer and performer Ellie Hardisty.
“There’s something inherently fun about taking a suspenseful movie about a scary shark, making it playful and silly, and also adding in education about sharks and why they’re important to our oceans.”
Hardisty and fellow writer/performer Natalie Bochenski play two child-like characters re-enacting the movie’s key points – trouble in the water, the Amity Island mayor keeping the beach open, catching the wrong shark, and recruiting fearsome fisherman Quint to hunt down the great white.
“Jaws was released in 1975, which is now before many parents were even born!” Natalie said.
“But it’s one of those movies that’s deeply ingrained in popular culture, and we’ve been sure to include jokes adults will enjoy as well as the songs, dances and games for kids.”
The show even has a specially-made giant shark head puppet deployed at key moments in the show.
“We get kids up to play characters in the movie, or to interact with the shark in other ways,” Ellie said.
“Far from being scared, we find kids are raring to get into the water with us.”
Jaws For Kids! Has four performances at the Lunchbox Theatre as part of the annual Wynnum Fringe Festival.
- Wednesday 8 July at 1.30pm
- Thursday 9 July at 1.30pm
- Friday 10 July at 1.30pm
- Saturday 11 July at 5.00pm
Tickets start from $24.05 and are available at wynnumfringe.com.
