My time performing on screen has ranged from principle cast to fight doubling to background fighting. I find the similarities between cueing my fight partner, and telling a story to a nearby camera to be very similar. I want to always show the audience exactly the tactics that my character is following.

Fighting is like an argument - you can have the characters just scream loudly at each other, but you would often miss a chance for enriching the story if you did that all the time! In that sense ‘Hit, block, hit’ is exciting sometimes, but ‘if I pretend to attack, they will easily defend and counterattack predictably, then I’ll be able to land a clean hit with the second attack’ is something that the audience will be able to follow, and learn more about the character as they do. There is so much opportunity to give information about the character when they’re fighting in earnest, and I never like to let it go to waste by just doing the moves.

Live performance, to me, is about feeling the energy of the crowd and working with it. The order of the moves are the same, nothing is improvised, but the timings follow the tension of the crowd. I hope to build this sense further over the years.

I have performed on stage, and in long-form events, so can vouch for my stamina! I love to see the reactions live when people see fighting and swords - it reminds me why I got into all of this. When an audience gives me the honour of allowing me to take their attention, I give them the honour of the best experience that I can give them. I remember very clearly all of the fighting on stage, and trips to the Royal Armouries to see the demonstrations that set my imagination on fire all those years ago. I strive that every live performance that I give will inspire someone.