Fight direction for screen and theatre that keeps every punch truthful and every performer safe, led by award-winning fight director Rupert Charmak.
The Fight Consultancy, part of SuckerPunch Productions, is led by award-winning fight director Rupert Charmak. We work with film and TV productions, theatre companies, directors and producers to create fight sequences that serve the story, from a single slap to a full-scale brawl.
Rupert blends real-world martial arts experience with a deep understanding of performance, so every moment of violence is safe, repeatable take after take and night after night, and true to the characters.
Rupert was fight director on Going for Gold, Lisa Lintott’s play based on the true story of 1970s boxer Frankie Lucas, which performed its multi-award-winning, sell-out run at the Park Theatre and an international tour. With boxing at the heart of the story, the fights had to convince an audience sitting just feet from the ring.
Working closely with the cast through rehearsals, Rupert built bouts and emotional conflict that felt authentic and carried the emotional arc of each scene, including the sensitivity of Frankie Lucas’s mental health and schizophrenia disorder and how this would affect and inspire the movement of the piece, and could be performed safely across the full run.
From a single slap on stage to a full-scale fight on set, we help actors, directors and production companies make every moment of conflict truthful, safe and true to the story.
From a single slap on stage to a full-scale fight on set, every moment of conflict has to convince. An audience will forgive a lot, but they spot a fake punch instantly. When a fight looks staged, the spell breaks and the stakes of the scene go with it. Good fight direction:
Want to know how it works? Read our fight direction FAQs.
Planning a production with fights, slaps, falls or any physical conflict? Tell us a little about the project and we’ll arrange a call to talk it through.
Looking for training? See our weekly classes.
“A wonderful presence on set. Intelligent, instinctive, sensitive, and extremely intuitive with both the material and the people around him. A huge asset to any production.”
“A brilliant fight director and great guy – Rupert guided us through the rehearsal process in a calm and informative way.”
“Rupert as fight director / choreographer is diligent and detailed in his work. He holds a great sense of storytelling as a natural director, so infuses this into his fight direction and choreography. Highly recommended.”
“Rupert was invaluable on Going For Gold – his commitment and sensitivity to the work was first class – he brought a total understanding of what was needed.”
