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Actor Adrian Lester discusses and demonstrates how to produce an effective fight in drama. He stresses important health and safety issues and explains the techniques very carefully, demonstrating each of his ideas. A group of students then practise the techniques in partners.

Before watching the clip, do some physical warm up activities and ask them why they think actors should be physically fit and strong, especially in a play like ‘Romeo and Juliet’. Stand students in a circle and teach them a very simple dance step, it doesn’t matter what it is but ensure they attempt to all get the movement and the rhythm correct. Discuss with students what this has to do with stage fighting and the importance of careful choreography. Do the exercise from the clip and ask some students to demonstrate, once they have mastered it. Discuss the point of this movement as the basis for stage fighting and also the status we see within it. This can then be used with scenes from the play as a starting point for the fight scenes.