Presented by Indes Fechtschule
@ Back Armoury Lawns at the South Australian Museum
THURSDAY 1st March (until March 10)
Advisory: This show contains frequent depictions of violence.
Lords and ladies, gather if you will to bear witness as Adelaide’s bravest knights do battle. They fight for honour, for glory and ultimately, for victory. Who will conquer and be named Adelaide’s first Medieval Streetfighter champion?
@ the Museum: Medieval Streetfighter, presented by Indes Fechtschule, is an action packed display of medieval martial arts performed to a soundtrack provided by rock band Everything Will Be Metal. Held in the Back Armoury Lawns at the South Australian Museum (a hard location to find if you are unfamiliar with the labyrinth of alley ways and gardens that exist there) this event combines medieval martial arts with comedy to bring history alive for the audience.
An impressive collection of swords, daggers, spears and axes take centre stage in the simply designed arena and the cobblestone buildings behind the museum add an air of medieval charm to the space. As the sun set the arena seemed to come alive and the overhead lights reflected stunningly off the sword blades and full body armour worn by the fighters. It’s just a shame such archaic seating was provided; awkward metallic folding chairs with hardened backrests made for a less than comfortable viewing experience and judging by the whispered comments from those around me, I was not the only one who thought this.
After a short delay (what’s an opening night without technical problems) the show was underway and we were introduced to the brave knights and squires who would do battle for our entertainment; and with names like Mark the Insane and Dylan the Dishonourable you know you’re in for one exciting night. The show features two distinct types of fighting displays. Choreographed fights are designed to demonstrate particular weapons or fighting styles and each had its own storyline, be it brothers brawling over a ‘wench’, a drunken bar fight between two hot headed knights or a murderous conspiracy pitting brother against brother. Meanwhile Master Displays, which usually featured lead knights Captain Indes and Bryan the Irish master, were fast paced, no holds barred free fighting performances designed to show the audience just how brutal and challenging a medieval fight could become. The complete lack of choreography in these displays makes for exhilarating viewing and you are encouraged to cheer on your favourite knight throughout the evening. MC Catch Tilly provides a humorous commentary and enlightens the audience with a series of historical facts about the weapons, armour and fighting techniques being used within the show, making for an informative (as well as entertaining) night out. As the evening draws to a close two maidens are called upon to join MC Tilly on stage and I highly recommend volunteering, as it is quite a novelty to watch two knights duelling for your honour.
Indes took a risk combining modern rock music with medieval fighting and for me, it had mixed results. On those few occasions when the music was perfectly timed with the blows of each weapon it added a sense of drama to the performance, however, it also had a tendency to drown out the voices of the fighters. The fighters themselves displayed confidence and skill on the field, expertly wielding their weapons and exhibiting real control in each of their moves.
Despite the period costumes and presence of “characters”, Indes Fechtschule’s head of school Mark Holgate (aka Captain Indes) insists this production is more about the fighting itself. “The school is interested in historical European martial arts; we’re not a re-enactment or theatre group. Our focus is on the martial arts and developing these ancient skills” he said. “We want to get what we do out there and connect with people”.
Indes Fechtschule is Adelaide’s first historical fencing school and is the only historical group in Adelaide to include strikes to the head and face (commonly used during medieval battles) within their fight sequences, which is why its students wear fencing masks. Medieval Streetfighter is their first appearance at the Adelaide Fringe and it is an outdoor event so dress for the weather as the enclosed courtyard can become quite chilly once the sun sets.
