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.
Non-Union Theatre/Film Productions Click Here
Union Theatre/Film Productions Click Here
Need a Stage Combat Instructor?
Preparing for a big role in which you’ll have to swing a sword convincingly? Even if I’m not attached to the project, I will devote time to get your skills up to the level where you can “wow” your fight director. Want to improve your physical acting to better play high-stakes scenes? Want to avoid the most common injuries on set?
Actors Click Here
School Teachers/Administrators Click Here
Current Classes
Earn your FDC Certification as Basic Actor-Combatant: I teach a two-week intensive at Academie Duello. The next one is October 12-23. Click here for more and to sign up.
Our ongoing stage combat classes happen Tuesday and Thursday evenings. Great for all levels to brush up, learn something new, and make connections with other action heroes.
Bartitsu, the Victorian martial art incorporating cane-fighting, English pugilism and jujitsu, runs Wednesdays and Saturdays. More on Bartitsu here.
Need an Actor Who Can Fight?
Why train a novice to play a warlord or a thug? If most of the character’s scenes involve fighting, cast an expert in stage combat.
Click Here for My Resume
Need Magic?
I am not a stage magician. However, stage combat is all illusion, so I have studied slight of hand and magic effects that can be incorporated into your show. Your fairies in A Midsummer Night’s Dream will not be magicians, they will be actors or dancers… but they can learn a few magic tricks to make them appear to be more fantastic. I can teach them those illusions.
Click Here for Magic
Fight Directors Canada
I have been training in FDC for over 15 years. Fight Directors Canada is the country’s only professionally recognized standard of stage combat training. What does that mean? FDC certification is what Equity looks for on your resume. If you studied stage combat in acting school, maybe you’re good, but your school is not what the professionals respect. They respect FDC.
Can you tell I’m proud of my FDC certification? I am a Certified Instructor with FDC, and it’s harder to get that than a black belt in most martial arts, because we ensure performer safety through the best training methods.
Any Questions?
Email me at david@playfighting.ca
Call 778-840-2370
Skype: playfighting
