My approach as a Fight Director begins with the overall vision of the project - I deliver what the director wants. I can do this in the form of technically crafting the scenes that the director specifies, providing appropriate training for actors as required; or at another extreme, I can create whole sequences based on simple descriptions and requirements. Whatever your need, I know how best to fit myself into the picture.
My creative process uses story (overall, and individual character) as a framework and driving force for an action sequence. I often encourage performers to tell me if an action doesn’t make sense for their character in that situation. I encourage communication - actors and directors know their stories and characters better than I do! You can tell a lot with simple actions and tactics in combat that are hard to convey in non-combat scenes, and I strive to make the most out of this opportunity to create a scene to strengthen the narrative, not distract from it.

Fight Directing

  • Screen Combat

    Screen Combat is performed to a single audience member - the camera. Because this audience member can get much closer (and can be rewound!) the method of choreographing and performing for camera changes. This presents a number of challenges, but also a number of opportunities - more subtle actions and sounds can be captured; the audiences’ perception can be manipulated towards elements that present the story and characters more clearly etc.

    My approach to screen combat in particular involves leaning into the minutia of tactics that would be lost on stage, whilst conversely using the spectacle and scale afforded by the camera to dazzle and engage the audience. I believe that the path and perspective of camera should be choreographed just as precisely as the fighters themselves.

    Finally, movie magic. Even just being able to isolate a fraction of a second of the action with an insert opens a world of possibility for choreography! I can have a much more hands-on, coaching approach with the performers, and can get incredible moments just right.

  • Stage Combat

    Stage Combat is about using the space available to you to tell a story to various types/shapes/sizes of audience. Every magic trick of the fight must work for every seat in the house, and the story should be just as clear for the back row as for the front.

    A key difference is that, in live performance, you need to do the fight all the way through in one go, every performance for the whole run. This means that the choreography must be much more tailored to the ability of the performers, and the available rehearsal time. A safely performed, clear story with consistent character is preferred to the actors breaking character to concentrate on ‘that really hard bit’! Of course, the ability of the actor to perform is improved through effective coaching strategy, well structured rehearsal, and clear communication between director, fight director and performers. I use all of the tricks that I have learned from my years as a fencing coach and martial arts teacher to get the best performance from your actors in a timely fashion!

    Finally, there’s nothing quite like the feel of the theatre. The overview of the action has the audience find little meaning in micro-tactile movements, but does follow the tactics and story that comes from shapes, rhythms and energies of bodies filling the stage, in the same way that music or dance fills a room.

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