Roberta Brown

Contents

Roberta BrownRoberta Brown (b. 1965) is a United States sword fight choreographer, whip choreographer and actor.

Among other things, she is known for her work on the 2000-2001 Canadian action-adventure TV series “Queen of Swords TV”, where she worked as a sword coach and can also be seen onscreen as the sword double for female sword-wielding characters.

Roberta Brown has also choreographed numerous sword fights and other fights for movies, TV series and theater productions. She did for instance work as a fight director for the TV film Boudica with Alex Kingston.

Quotes about Roberta Brown

“Roberta Brown’s fight choreography heightens the brutal confrontations.” – Variety

“It is her solid experience, talent, and smarts that allow her to thrive in an otherwise male-dominated field.” – Fight Master

“She’s dead serious about the importance of proper training and safety procedures.” – Los Angeles Times

Background

Roberta Ellen Brown was born in Warwick, Rhode Island, USA on April 2, 1965.

She studied at Brandeis University in Massachusetts and Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art in London. She started fencing while studying theatre at Brandeis, and later continued her training in stage fighting at Webber Douglas. She holds a Master of Fine Arts equivalency from Webber Douglas.

Work with Queen of Swords

Roberta Brown was brought onto the Canadian TV series “Queen of Swords” by the show´s initial swordmaster and stunt coordinator Anthony De Longis. Brown´s first task was to train Natalia Guijarro, the stunt double for the actor Tessie Santiago.

Soon, Brown´s field of work with the show broadened significantly. In addition to being a sword coach and fight choreographer, she was a sword stunt double for the actors Tessie Santiago, Paulina Galvez and Bo Derek.

Other examples of her work

Roberta Brown has choreographed fights for television series, movies and theatre productions. She is chiefly known for her sword skills (with both long and short swords), but is also an accomplished whip stage fighter and choreographer. She is the Director of Theatrical Combat at the Beverly Hills Fencer´s Club.

Teaching stage fighting

Brown has taught swordplay and theatrical combat at various schools around the world, including the Juan Angel Theatre in Bogotá, Colombia, the Graz Kendo Club in Graz, Austria, Teatro Lope de Vega in Madrid, Spain, Howard Fine Acting Studio in Hollywood, USA, the Lee Strasbourg Institute (also in Hollywood), and the Webber Douglas Academy of Dramatic Art (her own Alma Mater in London).

Examples of actors that has been trained or coached by Brown are Patricia Arquette, Lucy Liu, Alex Kingston, Billy Campbell, Peter Wingfield, Goran Visnjic, Bob Golec, and Mary Reinhardt.

Roberta Brown 2

TV & Film choreography

A few examples of TV shows and movies where Roberta Brown has worked as a fight choreographer:

  • Lapse (2009/I)
  • A Gothic Romance (2004)
  • Boudica/Warrior Queen (2003)
  • The Bacchae (2002) (whip choreographer)
  • Charlie’s Angels (2000) (fencing choreographer, also fencing double for Lucy Liu)
  • Queen of Swords (2000)
  • A Walk in the Park (1999)
  • ER (1994) TV series (she choreographed a scene between Noah Wyle and Goran Visnjic)

She was also the bullwhip trainer for the 2003 movie Holes and swordplay coach for the 1997 movie Prince Valiant.

Theater swordmaster

Examples of theater productions where Roberta Brown has been swordmaster:

  • “Julius Caesar in Murau”, Shakespeare in Styria, Austria
  • “Romeo and Juliet, Open House Vienna Theatre (Schlosspark Pötzleinsdorf), Vienna, Austria
  • “Macbeth”, Shakespeare’s Globe Theatre, London, UK
  • “Oman … O Man!”, Kennedy Center, Washington DC, USA
  • “Hamlet”, European Shakespeare Days, Austria
  • “Twelfth Night”, Globe Theater (Los Angeles), USA
  • “Romeo and Juliet”, European Shakespeare Days, Austria Days
  • “Names”, Lee Strasberg Theatre, USA
  • “The Ugly Play”, Santa Monica Playhouse, USA
  • “Hamlet”, Playhouse West
  • “Ravish”, New Dance Theatre
  • “15-Minute Hamlet”, Shakespeare and Friends
  • “Maria Morevna”, Ziggurat Theatre Ensemble
  • “Fortinbras”, Howard Fine Theater
  • “Romeo and Juliet”, Shakespeare and Friends
  • “Twelfth Night”, Gascon Center Theatre
  • “Hasta La Muerte”, Gascon Center Theatre
  • “Improvimagic”, Hollywood’s Magic Castle
  • “Horatio Hornblower”, Long Beach Pier
  • “Richard the Lionheart”, Vienna’s English Theatre, Austria
  • “Briar Patch”, Ventura Court Theater
  • “The Erpingham Camp”, The Drayton Arms, London, UK