Oh holy knight
The Templars reignite The Crusades in medieval Knightfall as they search for the famed Holy Grail.
Knightfall Season 1 Thursdays (from 26 July) SABC3 (*193) 21:30
Saddle up, sirs – after a delayed start, Knightfall (2017- current) and its Knights Templar are riding into action. It’s been 15 years since their last conquest into the Holy Land and senior brother Landry du Lauzon (Tom Cullen, Viscount Gillingham in period drama Downton Abbey, 2010-2015) wants to find the Holy Grail. “I’ve got a propensity for murder,” says the actor with a sly grin. “I had done so much sword work for previous roles. It was just like getting back into the saddle, mind the pun.” If you thought that the Knights Templar were a friendly bunch, you’re as foolish as a court jester, warns Tom. “There’s this scene in the season finale (episode 10) that rivals other shows in this genre – we had about 400 men on a battlefield for two weeks. It’s easily the biggest scene I’ve been in!”
BACK TO SCHOOL
It wasn’t just getting used to swords, horses and suits of armour – yes, they are heavy… about 30kg! The actors went to knight bootcamp to transform their mindsets and mannerisms. “You take history for granted. You take the lessons in school for granted and then boom – you’re in a battlefield one day. You need to bow and curtsey and my’lord this, my’lady that,” says Tom. “We had a fantastic historian on set who would speak to us as though we really were in that time, giving us tips on what knights would and wouldn’t do, how to address ladies and lords of the court. It was like being back in a classroom but a lot more fun.”
FIGHTING FIT
Before the “knights” got to swing their swords on camera, they had to get into shape. “We’re on set for 14 hours a day in Prague in the heat of summer and we’re waving around 10kg swords in 30kg armour. It’s the most physically gruelling thing I’ve ever done. At least I’m being paid,” Tom points out. Their work-out routines were personalised by on-set physical trainers who helped actors like Tom put on 15kg of muscle in 90 days, adding, “It helped me feel like I could protect myself if I found myself in a real medieval battle!”