In planning a stage fight, the choreographer must consider the experi-
ence and physical stature of his performers, the needs and style of the char-
acters, the concept of the play, rehearsal time, set and prop placement,
characters’ costumes, lighting design, historical accuracy, and how the fight
fits into the telling of the story. By doing research in these areas, the fight
director comes to the rehearsal room with a solid base on which to build a
staged fight. The fight choreographer may arrive with a completely chore-
ographed action or with a generalized idea of what should happen, but an
open mind and willingness to adjust these ideas to the abilities of the actors
and to the wishes of the director must be maintained. Consideration must
be given not only to what the fight will look like, but also what it will
sound and feel like to the audience. By adding vocalizations, different tem-
pos, and specific character traits, a fight director can transform an other-
wise boring set of moves into an exciting segment of an evening of theater.
Patrick Crean, one of actor Errol Flynn’s fight choreographers and
sword-fighting doubles, once said: “Thoughts fast, BLADES SLOW.” This
statement is the essence of stage combat training: Take it slow! By begin-
Stage Combat 553English actor, producer, and director Laurence Olivier plays Hamlet in his 1948 film production of Shakespeare’s
work. He is involved in the fatal duel with Laertes, played by Terence Morgan. (Hulton Archive)