The Duel

When I was training at the Central School of Speech and Drama one of my favourite classes was stage fighting and particularly
fencing. I suppose it was a hark back to the days when, after watching a Saturday morning film at the Odeon, usually a pirate film,
or Robin Hood we would all rush out into the plantation and sword fight with the palm fronds. (What a loss to Guernsey culture it
was the day they turned it into a car park.)

We were incredibly lucky at Central to have William Hobbs as our master. Bill was a professional fight choreographer and did the
famous fight sequences in the Musketeers films. In fact he has a cameo role as a drunk who fights Frank Finlay. He also did the fights
for the film The Duelists with Harvey Keitel. The story of two soldiers who duel with each other throughout the Napoleonic wars is
a breathtaking showcase of his art.

We had to take an exam to be certified by the Society of Fight Directors. I was paired with Sean Blowers (from London's Burning)
to do our fight and we were very proud to be the only two in our year to receive recommendations on top of our certificate.

The skill of stage fighting is of course to miss each other, whereas in real fencing you are trying to hit your opponent. This requires that
fight sequences are put together like a dance, carefully worked out so that it looks real but at the same time the actors, and audience
are safe.

With the duel sequence in Hamlet I wanted to use all the techniques and skills that Bill and later Henry Marshall (RADA) taught me.

I started by approaching Martin Corbett of the Sarnia Sword Club, who lent us two real fencing sabres, exactly the same as the
ones I had trained with at Drama School. He then kindly "made" two main gauche daggers by cutting down two foils and making
them safe. (It is this kind of support that makes extraordinary things possible in Guernsey)

I then started Pat and Tris on a vigorous regular training program 1 hour each Thursday. Pat had already trained and got his
certificate, but we had to train Tristan from scratch. This meant starting with foot work. The distance between actors during a
fight sequence is vitally important, too far away and the swords do not connect, too close and the fight becomes dangerous.
For the first three sessions the actors didn't even pick up a sword, they just learnt the correct balance positions and got
used to moving together forwards and backwards until it became second nature.

We then looked at the various defence positions to parry an attack safely. Protecting the foot up the body to the head. We also
incorporated the daggers for extra protection. We then looked at the technique of controlling the blade safely and bringing it across
the body.

Having learnt all the basics and at the point when I felt satisfied they were safe, we starting putting together the sequence that would
be used in the play. Fight sequences aren't as easy as they may seem. It is very easy to create a bish bosh effect that becomes
repetitive and boring. You need to think of the rhythms of the fight. Also you need sequences that the actors find easy to remember.
You also need back up features so that if one of the actor's forgets what he or she is doing they are still safe.

It is better to go for quick short bursts with rests than long over complicated sequences, for 3reasons,
1) It is easier to remember
2) It is safer
3) Ask Pat and Tris how much energy is expended in even a short sequence, and these are fit lads.

The movements of a fight sequence put a lot of strain on muscles that aren't often used, especially the back of the thighs
and the buttocks. There is a lot of stretching and recovering. There is also an enormous amount of concentration. These are
all tiring, and when people get tired they make mistakes and they get hurt.

All the sequences are built up in slow motion until they become second nature. It is only then that intention or fake aggression
is added to make the fight seem real.

The other thing the actors have to contend with is dialogue during the bout. So they have to remember their lines as well as the sequence.

All in all it is a very demanding discipline.

When we have decided each sequence we video them so we can refer back if we forget. In the old days fight sequences had to be noted
by hand with a sort of shorthand for fight directors. Fortunately with modern technology digital cameras can give you an instant play back,
and actors can also see where they are making mistakes with lunges or footwork after they have done the sequence.

Both Pat and Tris have a natural talent in this area and the duel in Hamlet promises to create an exciting climax to the play.