Do You Know The 3 Elements of a Great Stage Fight?
Poorly executed stage fights are some combination of:
- unsafe for the actor or the audience,
- not concerned with the illusion of violence (wooden swords, showing safety tricks, etc),
- inappropriate moves or motivation,
- boring,
- disconnected from the story or setting
Bad stage combat sabotages otherwise good theatre. It is my mission to save productions from bad stage combat.
Good stage combat gives equal weight to these three factors:
- Safety: Actors, bystanders and audience never get hurt or feel endangered
- Storytelling: The plot is advanced by the fight, and doesn’t feel like an interruption
- Simulation: Every move is authentic and believable at full speed
I teach and choreograph safe and exciting stage fights from my foundation in the internationally acclaimed Fight Directors Canada.
Need a Fight Choreographer?
Even community theatres produce shows that involve some violence. Sure, you could do it in slow motion or use plastic weapons, but people still get hurt when they are not properly supervised. For the love of your face, nobody ever do a contact slap! And let’s not forget that crappy fights ruin your otherwise excellent show.
Although I am no longer working as a Fight Choreographer, please consult FDC.ca or search for stage combat in your area.
Need a Stage Combat Instructor?
Preparing for a big role in which you’ll have to swing a sword convincingly? Want to improve your physical acting to better play high-stakes scenes? Want to avoid the most common injuries on set?
Stage Combat is a complicated skill, and I recommend ongoing classes for your skill development, not just a one-time class in your acting school or a workshop.