(Del it. spadaccino).

1. m. Hombre que sabe manejar bien la espada.

2. m. Hombre que se precia de valiente y es amigo de pendencias.

3. m. germ. rufián.

Real Academia Española © Todos los derechos reservados

The word espadachín is Spanish for a swordfighter. If you note in the second definition above, the word pendencias, it also defines an espadachín as someone (until most recently, only men) who likes to be in fights of words or actions.  





Top Row: Callen Poulin, Yan Emond & Matheus Olmedo Second Row: David McCormick (Academy Duello Choreographer, fight instructor), Jennifer Landels & Chris Richardson Third Row: Phil Persad, C.C, (Chris) Humphreys & Devon Boorman Choreographer & Director of Academie Duello

They needed release. And so the skilfull playwright gave it to them. Gave them a fight.

Shakespeare's Rebel, C.C. Humphreys



For this 70 year old man, movies and novels could only be about three subjects, de couboys, de espadachines y de guerra. Films about Batman, Superman, animated transformers and other aberrations of that ilk do not fall in any of those three categories, westerns, swordfighting and war films and novels. Who cares about the man of steel's special powers, I would rather play, yet one more time, the sword fight in the opera between Mel Ferrer (a ferocious and nasty villain) and Stewart Granger in Scaramouche. I would fight all the villains of every sword-fighting film for the hand of Eleanor Parker.

C.C. Humphreys

What the above means is that I will be surely present next Monday, July 22 at the main tent at Bard on the Beach for the release of C.C. Humphreys’s latest novel Shakespeare’s Rebel. For a mere ten smackers you can watch folks (men and, yes! women) from Academie Duello fight mock battles with broad swords and rapiers. I might add with glee that these fights will involve lots of swashing as bucklers (what looks like a small round shield) will be in evidence. Details here



Jennifer Landels & Yan Emond

Swish, swish of close shaves, swash, swash of bucklers, music to the ears of this old man who will be instantly swinging the broad sword of his imagination.

This event starting at 7 pm will have Bard on the Beach Artistic Director, Christopher Gaze and fellow thespian (swordfighter, fight director, actor, pit privy owner and novelist) C.C. Humphreys reading with their wonderful voices, extracts from play scenes which will explore the two central characters of Shakespeare’s Rebel and their connection to two Bard plays this year, Shakespeare’s Hamlet and Timothy Findley’s Elizabeth Rex. As they talk those of us lucky to be there will watch finely choreographed fights which will include Bard’s fight director Nicholas Harrison.

The only disappointment for me is that Academie Duello’s full-scaled trebuchet could not be accommodated into the main stage because of city safety regulations.   



Nick Harrison



C.C. Humphreys - Absolute sworsdman

C.C. Humphreys gives Rebecca a fencing lesson

C.C. Humphreys nails another one on the head

Method acting meets Dracula

Roses and castles 

De Capa y Espada

The pupil and the fencing master