A Terrific Combat is one of the finest reads on theatrical fighting. Ever. Like crawling through an old thesp’s attic and finding a trunk of fencing equipment. You knew this stuff was lurking somewhere in theatrical history.
The book itself is a miscellany of stage combat articles and extracts from Victorian days and shortly after. Individually, each extract is a charming read, but together they weave a picture of a stage combat scene as complex and varied as it is today.
It is full of ‘did-ya-knows’. For instance, did you know that John Wilkes Booth was nearly killed (pity) in a stage fighting accident? Or that Californians were staging Greco-Roman Games in 1895? Or that many actresses were expert fencers and played young male characters such as Romeo and d’Artagnan?
The good, the bad, the reckless, the insane; the theatre. Cautionary tales, self-promoting accounts, and self-aggrandising actors’ anecdotes. Makes you realise it has all been done before, from nickel plating blades to make them shine, to electrifying the swords for sparks.
I’d put this book on the Christmas list for anyone who loves stage combat (or theatre or Victoriana or fencing). As an early happy holidays, Tony Wolf has given permission to reprint some of the accounts on the YB website. The first is about actress and fencer Miss Esme Beringer. Thanks Tony.
‘A Terrific Combat, Theatrical Duels, Brawls and Battles:1800-1920′ is compiled and edited by Tony Wolf, with a forward by William Hobbs is available at Lulu.com
“Let me, therefore, conclude by recording what Miss Esme Beringer thinks of the art. I found her not so long ago in that bright little dressing room in chintz which, for the time being, was her own, just about to prepare for Captain Kettle.
“I think it is an entirely delightful pastime,” she said decisively; “excellent for one’s health and for ones mind.”
“Not too fatiguing for women?” I suggested.
“Well,” said she, admittingly, “of course, one can have too much of a good thing; but it is delightful, isn’t it?”
I hesitated – it was hard to admit to baskets – and was lost.
I had, having ‘Luke’ in my mind.
“Yes,” said Miss Beringer, laughing, “that was instructive, but Mr. Egerton Castle was not my first ‘Saviolo.’ When I and my sisters were quite little at home we had a fencing master, Segt. Elliott. That, I suppose, was when I first learned to love fencing. After that I left it alone for a time, but my early tuition came in useful years afterward when Captain Hutton very kindly and generously offered to prepare me for Romeo, which was produced at the Prince of Wales’.
“But you don’t expect a scientific – “
His knowledge of the swordsmanship of the period, as well as his instruction, were invaluable. My next experience of fencing on the stage was with Mr. Castle in a fencing dialogue he had written round Saviolo and his pupil Luke – a little piece which we first played at Mr. George Alexander’s big bazaar at the Great Central Hotel. Subsequently we repeated the performance at Bertrand’s, and this led to my Palace engagement when my brother George Silver appeared with me in At the Point of the Sword. During our engagement at the Palace we were asked to appear in a piece on behalf of the Actor’s Benevolent Fund, which we did, as also later at Drury Lane, the Lyceum and the Alhambra, at Bristol, Brighton and Oxford. Then I must not forget that I had the honour of taking the chair at Capt. Hutton’s interesting lecture at the Playgoer’s Club on “Stage Fights.”
“Incidents?” continued Miss Beringer, laughing; “well, once, during the performance with my brother at the Palace I nearly got my eye cut out, while not so long afterwards my brother had his arm badly cut. Weren’t those incidents? Another incident was a challenge that I once received – “
“Yes, yes,” said I; “and did you accept and – and kill – “
Unfortunately before I do get a reply Miss Beringer’s dresser returned, and I had perforce to take my leave.”
-This is an extract from an article first printed as “Fencing and the Stage” By Kaufman C Spiers for The Playgoer
Vol 3 Nov 1902-April 03
Chaos & Order – Blog by Scott Witt – Oz FD