Slashing with Sabre Cutting with Cutlass - Wielding the Weapons

Sabre and Cutlass

Of the bladed weapons we use in the show, the most prominent are the sabre and cutlass.

Sabres are single-edged swords that are curved slightly used in the cavalry from the 1700s to the 1900s. This weapon is the perfect tool for cutting opponents from horseback or thrusting while on foot. Our sabres were modeled after the Hutton Sabre, developed by Alfred Hutton. Hutton served in the King’s Dragoons, updating sabre dueling and trying in vain to reintroduce the sword as a military weapon. Meanwhile, he was greatly influential in the resurgence of fencing as a study and pastime in England during the late 1800s. The theatre owes Hutton quite a lot with regards to stage fighting: he worked in the early 1900s as a fight instructor with a group of actors incorporating both Jujitsu and stick fighting at the Baritsu Club.

In Treasure Island you will see that Doctor Livesey and Squire Trelawney both have sabres. We used the sabres to help us illustrate upper and lower class divisions between the characters. While the sabre and cutlass are very similar, there are subtleties about the sabre that make it slightly more sophisticated.

Cutlasses are a shorter, broader version of the sabre. Its curved blade was well-suited to use aboard ship, allowing for use in close-quarters and around rigging that surrounded fighters aboard sailing vessels without getting hung up. The style of fighting aboard ship was slightly different as well. While the cutting style remained the same, with slashing being the most prominent way of fighting, the stance was much broader and lower to help the fighters stay balanced on a moving deck. Also, in the close-quarters, the hilt of the weapon was used  for punching. Sabre is used with distance and form, whereas cutlass is used very close and the fighters often used their entire body to attack.

If you would like a brief overview of Hutton and his impact on stage combat, Britanica has a great selection of his texts here: http://www.britannica.com/biography/Alfred-Hutton

If you would like to know more about any of these weapons contact LLCC and sign up for the knife class in fall of 2016! Professor of Theatre Mark Hardiman does a different weapon each semester. Check it out on the LLCC Theatre webpage here: http://www.llcc.edu/academics/academic-departments/arts-humanities/theatre/