It would be an interesting exercise to check how many times this stage direction is to be found in Shakespeare’s plays. It certainly occurs five times in ROMEO AND JULIET, providing much thought and imagination for a fight arranger/director.
The first time I saw the play was in 1961 when the Old Vic Company brought to Cardiff the then celebrated production directed by Franco Zeffirelli. The fights were in the capable hands of William Hobbs and I particularly remember the quite stunning visual impact of the first brawl between the Montagues and the Capulets with a great deal of violent movement and swashbuckling swordplay.
I suspect that Rupert Goold’s new production at The Courtyard is going to provide audiences with fights that are going to be equally exciting and memorable. On this occasion they are being staged by Terry King , whose work needs no introduction to regular RSC audiences. Last week when a colleague and I were taking a large school group on a theatre tour we were all privileged to be able to watch from the gallery the last five minutes of a rehearsal for that first brawl and to watch Terry King and the ensemble in action. Stunning is not the word. How about -WOW !?
Roll on the preview. What is the line ?
“Draw, if you be men ”
(They fight ) – in this production they certainly do !
by Tony Boyd-Williams, RSC Friends Theatre Tour Guide
RSC Friends 
That’s kind of you,Liz.I agree the whole production is brilliant and I can feel another blog coming on ! I believe that since Monday evening,the staging of the beginning has altered in that Forbes as Friar Laurence speaks the Prologue Time for a return visit asap !
Are you planning to get to the understudy performance on 30th March ? With Dyfan and Debbie playing the title roles ,should also be VERY exciting.
You’re not wrong, Tony! I saw a preview last night and the fight scenes are superb – fast, violent, dangerous, the sort of stuff that makes you shrink back in your seat. The whole production, in fact, is brilliant. One of the best R&J’s for ages.
Thanks for your comments,Liz.It is quite brilliant,isn’t it ? One comment made to me was “crikey ! “I am sure we are all looking forward to the understudy performance on 30th March -such an energetic ensemble !