Interview with the Stage Fighting Choreographer Freddy Weber
Fighting Without Fighting: The Art of Stage Combat
From Shakespeare's sword fights to the streets of post-war Berlin, stunt performer Freddy reveals how ISH students are learning to turn carefully choreographed violence into convincing theatre.
“One thing I have to tell them all the time is: stop smiling while fighting!”
For Freddy, the stage combat choreographer working on the International School of Hamburg's production of Romeo & Juliet, enthusiasm has not been in short supply. In fact, the students are enjoying their fight rehearsals so much that keeping a suitably menacing expression has become something of a challenge.
An actor and professional stunt performer working with a Hamburg-based stage combat company, Freddy is bringing his experience of theatrical fighting to a school production for the first time. And the students have surprised him.
He admits that, remembering his own teenage years, he had expected a rather more reluctant audience. Instead, he has found young performers eager to throw themselves into the action—sometimes quite literally.
The Art of the Illusion
On stage, a convincing fight depends less on force than on precision, timing and, above all, cooperation.
“It's always two parts,” Freddy explains, referring to the person delivering a blow and the person receiving it. Neither can create the illusion alone.
A punch may stop well short of its target, but the reaction of the receiving actor, combined with carefully timed movement and sound, can make it appear devastating.
Freddy teaches students to distinguish between different levels of impact: a light blow produces a small reaction, a stronger one throws the character off balance, while the most dramatic may send them to the ground.
The secret is in the response. An actor can deliver the most convincing punch imaginable, but without the other performer's reaction, the illusion disappears.
For audiences, the result can be startling. One sequence involves a rubber prop pipe and a dramatic fall designed to suggest a powerful impact without delivering one.
From Verona's Swords to Berlin's Streets
Shakespeare's Romeo & Juliet is famous for its duels, but ISH's production relocates the action to divided post-war Berlin.
For Freddy, the change of setting required some historical research. What weapons or everyday objects might have been available in a city still bearing the scars of the Second World War? How might street confrontations have unfolded?
He also worked closely with directors Sarah Barker-Doherty and Clayton Doherty to establish the appropriate intensity of the scenes.
His initial choreography was relatively restrained, mindful that he was working with school students. The directors, however, wanted the confrontations to feel more forceful.
The result is a series of carefully structured encounters that reflect both the violence of Shakespeare's original tragedy and the atmosphere of post-war Berlin.
Every Fight Tells a Story
For Freddy, stage combat is not simply about spectacular punches or dramatic falls. The way a character fights reveals who they are.
Tybalt, for example, is an experienced and confident fighter. Romeo, initially unwilling to confront him, attempts to avoid violence. Mercutio, unable to tolerate what he perceives as Romeo's humiliation, steps in.
As Mercutio loses control of his emotions, the dynamics of the fight change. Following Mercutio's death, Romeo's grief turns into rage, transforming both his movement and his approach to Tybalt.
These shifts must be visible to the audience, even without dialogue.
Freddy asks the young actors to consider two fundamental questions: What does my character want, and what does my character need?
Understanding a character's motivation gives each movement a purpose. A fight becomes part of the storytelling rather than simply an action sequence.
Trust Is the Most Important Weapon
Despite the apparent chaos on stage, the choreography follows strict rules.
“Never hit the face, never go full force,” Freddy insists.
Safe distances, controlled movements and constant communication between performers are non-negotiable. If a student feels uncomfortable performing a particular action, the choreography must be adjusted.
Interestingly, Freddy compares stage combat as much to dancing as to martial arts.
Drawing particularly on kickboxing techniques, he combines the physical vocabulary of fighting with the rhythm, coordination and partnership of choreography.
Both performers must understand one another's movements, anticipate reactions and maintain complete control.
The audience should see danger. The actors should experience trust.
When Confidence Takes Centre Stage
One of Freddy's greatest surprises has been the confidence of the ISH students.
He recalls discussing a sequence involving a performer being pushed off the stage into a controlled catch. Before he had even finished explaining the idea, a younger cast member, Bianca, had volunteered enthusiastically.
Freddy admits that even experienced performers can feel nervous about such movements.
Watching students overcome hesitation and embrace the physical demands of theatre has become one of the most rewarding parts of his involvement.
Yet behind the excitement of rehearsals lies a serious message.
Shakespeare's tragedy shows how quickly pride, anger and revenge can turn a confrontation into catastrophe. For all the skill involved in creating violence on stage, Freddy hopes the students will take away one simple lesson:
“Violence is worthless.”
And perhaps that is the greatest irony of stage combat: the more convincingly the students learn to fight, the more they must learn to trust one another.
About Freddy
Freddy is an actor and professional stunt performer working with a Hamburg-based stage combat company. His training and professional practice draw on a range of martial arts and fighting techniques, including kickboxing, karate and Brazilian jiu-jitsu, as well as the use of everyday objects in choreographed action sequences.
His work includes stage and screen productions. Romeo & Juliet marks his first experience teaching stage combat to a school-age cast.