Swords

About

From cutlasses for swash-buckling fight scenes in a production of Peter Pan to highly decorative swords that are never intended to be used in an actual stage fight, the National's Armoury makes, adapts and stores all manner of swords.

People featured in this video include:
Paul Wanklin, Senior Armourer

NT productions referenced in this video include:
Peter Pan (1997) by JM Barrie (1904), in a new version by John Caird and Trevor Nunn (1997). Directed by John Caird with Fiona Laird. Designed by John Napier.
Saint Joan (2007) by Bernard Shaw. Directed by Marianne Elliot. Designed by Rae Smith.

Transcript

Paul Wanklin: We also deal with all the swords and edge weapons in the Armoury. We've got 200 to 300 in stock and we often make up swords to designers' specifications using parts that we've kept in stock. We also use brass castings that we get made specially to make whatever the designer requires.

These we used in Peter Pan; aluminium bladed cutlasses. It's got an aluminium blade that is used for fighting; the blade is made from that sort of blank [Paul holds the aluminium bladed cutlass up a blade that is yet to be made into a sword] and we obviously fit the handles and things like that. We also use steel swords for fighting; very strong, very unlikely to break (we don't want them breaking and flying into the audience).

Made up swords, [Paul holds up a smaller, more decorated sword]; it's a small sword made in India, very nice to look at, no good for fighting. Also military-type swords, cavalry sabre. No good for fighting but a very nice decorative item. This is a sword made for St Joan (a production we did recently). The designer wanted it very flashy, so it's all made out of brass, plated in 24 carat gold, with the brass wrapped handle.

We also make these sort of weapons, which are basically fantasy items; we do all the leather work and things like that. It's a prop-type weapon it would never actually be used for actual combat.