St Mary’s Students Learn the Art of Stage Fighting

Third Year Drama and Theatre Arts students at St Mary’s University, Twickenham were recently treated to a stage fighting master class with internationally renowned fight director Alison de Burgh. After warming up, Alison led a practical workshop in which she instructed the students on the logistics and the practical considerations of stage combat. The students were given demonstrations on how to perform various stage fighting moves from Alison before practicing on one another. Programme Director for BA Drama and Applied Theatre Julie Spencer said, “It's fantastic that Drama St Mary's students have the opportunity to work alongside such world renowned practitioners." Alison was Britain’s first female fight director and has led stage combat workshops for the National Theatre, Royal Shakespeare Company (RSC), and the Young Vic, most recently she worked on the award winning production of the Scottsboro boys. Alison has also work as a film stunt fighter on films such as Robin Hood and Arthur. Aside from her practical experience, Alison has also advised as a historical expert on Elizabethan swordplay, giving talks and demonstrations for both the Wallace collection, the British museum, and Radio 4’s series Shakespeare’s Restless World.