We were all given a red-wrapped chocolate heart on entering the auditorium - a little sign of what is to come at the end of the play, in a scene that - until now - I had only read and could not imagine being staged. ... It is worth a visit to see good acting ... and, quite literally, witness the complicated machinations of the heart.

~ Anita Butler from The British Theatre Guide (2009)

The night revels in multiple murders, betrayals, gory dealings in general.

~ Saul Reichlin from Remote Goat (2009)

Ronin Traynor's fight choreography was excellent, and on the whole well executed.

~ Deborah Klayman from Remote Goat (2009)

Ronin Traynor worked with me as Fight Director on my outdoor production of A Midsummer Night's Dream. He was safety conscious and his clever blocking made sure that wherever I sat (the performance was in the round) the movements looked believably real.

He looked at the motivations behind the actions with the actors and (as Movement Director) he suggested some visually interesting bits of business. He was flexible to always fit in with my vision, and with the actors' struggles, taking the time to have one-on-one sessions with each performer to look at how to display emotions etc through physicality.

~ Hugh Allison from The Yellowchair Performance Experience (2009)

Aladdin "includes a marvellous fight between the Grand Vizier (Matthew Neal) and the monkey (Hambi Pappas) that has to be seen to be believed."

~ Francis Batt from The Express (2007)

Ronin Traynor has acted as fight director on two productions I have directed or co-directed, Cinderella and Aladdin at West Wing, Slough. Ronin is thorough and reliable and ensures that safety is paramount at all tines. He is inventive and playful in his fight choreography and is able to offer additional support to those individuals who find fight sequences challenging.

~ Lucy Bradley / Co-Director from West Wing Arts Centre (2007)

I specially noted the fight sequence during Eye of the Tiger as being particularly noteworthy .... and the scene when the underdog turned hero was classic!!

~ Barrie Theobald from NODA (2008)

The Black Comedy is somewhat challenging when it comes to the physicalisation of the characters escapades and mis-haps in the ‘dark’ and when the comedy aspect of the play is dependent on the tom-foolery and calamity, the pressure on the choreographer and the ability of the lead actor is extremely high. With Ronin Traynor cast as Brindsley (the lead character) and also the Fight Director I was presented with the perfect combination to achieve the desired goals. With his wealth of experience as a Fight Director, acting talent and high quality physical ability, we were able to have a stunning array of trips and falls creating a fantastic overflow of comedy flare throughout the show. An absolute gem for any production!”

~ Danielle Scott / Director from Forte Theatre (2007)

This Language Laid Bare production pulls no punches thanks to fight director Ronin Traynor and the best theatrical slaps, pokes and prods I have ever seen.

~ Philip Herbert from Remote Goat (2008)

Fight director Ronin Traynor and choreographer Lisette Foster contribute neat sequences appropriate for the abilities of the cast, stage capacity, and style of the production.

~ Tara Paulsson from Fringe Report (2008)

Applause for the climactic fight scene complete with strobe slow effects

~ Lindsey / Editor from Londonist (2009)

Ronin Traynor has acted as fight director on two productions I have directed or co-directed, Cinderella and Aladdin at West Wing, Slough. Ronin is thorough and reliable and ensures that safety is paramount at all tines. He is inventive and playful in his fight choreography and is able to offer additional support to those individuals who find fight sequences challenging.

~ Lucy Bradley / Co-Director from West Wing Arts Centre (2007)

Brilliantly choreographed fight sequence

~ Imogen Lillywhite from The Observer (2006)

Ronin's quite a knowledgeable, meticulous and enthusiastic fight choreographer. His performance during the fight scenes were quite thrilling to watch. I believe his involvement as a fighter in my project served as one of the many sources of motivation for the casts during the fight scenes. I am very pleased to have worked with him.

~ Ogodinife Okpue - Director from Adverto Films (2009)

wonderful to see the standard of swordplay is better than ever.

~ Roy Goodall from BAF (2009)

Those of us who were fortunate enough to see the Diamond Swords show at Warwick Castle witnessed a truly professional spectacular.

~ BAF News Issue 53 (2009)

BAFTA's 2010 Video Game Award winner for Strategy

~ BAFTA from Video Game Awards (2010)

Melee combat is fantastic. When engaged in close combat soldiers have a lot of new combat animation. They dodge, thrust, stab and choke one another as they desperately fight for their lives. I noticed that nearly all soldiers engage in personal tussles with the enemy so not all animation is death blows like in previous titles.

~ Graham Clifford from Boomtown.net (2009)

Total War games have always looked pretty, but never like this. Seeing individual crew members of a ship clambering across the ropes at sunset, or a cloud of smoke gently envelop your infantry as they let loose a volley of musket fire is hypnotising. And if they weren't encouragement to zoom in and view your battles at ground level, you'll love the fact individual combatants now really appear to be fighting 1v1, instead of just flailing around.

~ Luke Plunkett from Kotaku (2009)

After playing for a few months, it still amazes me watching the tiny little regiments engage in combat. If you ever get the chance, zoom in real close to the combat and watch your units duke it out hand to hand. You’ll notice your units and enemies actually fight with one another. Also, while watching the sea battles, you’ll notice your sailors trying to take over enemy vessels when order to do so. I love watching them throw lines from one ship to the other, pummel the enemy with rifles, stand toe to toe with swashbuckling pirates.

~ Curtis Takaichi from Gamer Limit (2009)

The advent of gunpowder also adds a new dimension to the battles, allowing players to use ranged combat and fire cannons to break enemy ranks, but with plenty of the visceral hand-to-hand scuffles that helped make the Total War series an evergreen favourite.

~ David McComb from Empire (2009)

The hand to hand combat is also a beauty to watch. You could swear you are watching a real battle from above, as they attempt to bayonet or beat their opponent to death.

~ Reviewstream.com from Reviewstream.com (2009)

Again, it's all in the details, as you zoom in and see each troop participating in frenetic ranged and hand-to-hand combat. Empathy is a sign of a truly immersive game, and The Creative Assembly have nailed it. You can't help but feel sorry for the poor souls they modelled these collections of pixels on.

~ Dan Cheer from Game Planet (2009)

Watching the little men duke it out is a lot of fun to watch with their wonderful animations. Long gone are the days of watching your medieval soldiers swing their sword only to have it hit enemy shields a million times, now its all about bayonet stabbing and dodges.

~ Vervous from Gameplay Monthly (2009)

I especially like the melee animations, all individually recorded by professional stuntmen. Men stab and hack at each other, pushing each other on the ground and kicking downed men in the face. It is even possible for knocked down soldiers to parry bayonet stabs or roll out of the way and get back up again.

~ LonePlacebo (2009)

The fighting is beautifully fluid.

~ Keith Stuart from Game (2009)

To say that Empire Total War looks good is an understatement, being able to watch each man fight and act independently is amazing, you'll find yourself just zooming right into the thick of things just to watch their desperate struggle to win.

~ Odion from ZT Game Domain (2009)

I love the level of animation in the game; it’s deep and cinematic quality. The combat is incredibly visceral and great fun to watch, zoom right in and see cavalry charge down a line of infantry or a cannon ball decimate a group of cavalry as they try to ride down your riflemen.

~ Straybolt from Games Xtream (2009)

Once armies clash, these prebattle decisions generally have far more impact than any midskirmish choice, and it's as enjoyable as ever to zoom in close to your troops and watch them engage. The landscapes are on the bland side, but soldier animations and the general amount of model detail make for a wonderful visual treat.

~ Kevin VanOrd from Game Spot (2009)

Motion-captured cinematic actions have been applied to the units likely to get into hand-to-hand range, and generally units exist and clash much more naturally and believably than before.

~ Rob Purchese from Euro Gamer (2008)

The seamless precision in which the actors choreographed their moves was really impressive to watch.

~ Mark O’Connell from Total War.Com (2008)

It was impressive to watch two soldiers clanging their muskets together, stabbing and snarling while combat raged all around. Even more impressive was when a cavalry officer joined the fray, leaning to one side to slash down at opponents while they dodged his blows and tried to dismount him. The cavalry officer's head looked down and pivoted to follow his target as he circled his prey. The graphics really serve to bring the harshness of Napoleonic battles to life. We watched a British flag carrier lead a line of redcoated infantry into battle, boldly vaulting over a wall and into the thick of an enemy position. Surrounded by enemies, we saw that he was reaching for his sword when his foes brought him down. Mechanically, the loss of a flag carrier means that his unit takes a morale hit, but somehow the game mechanics seemed secondary to the drama unfolding on the battlefield.

~ Game Spy (2008)

Ronin has been a fantastic fight director and I believe brought unique skills to the work of Muddy Icon. The short film was shot on location and Ronin had no time to prepare the choreography and worked with dancers while other shooting was taking place in the location. Ronin worked well under the pressure of very tight deadlines, he was provided with no prior information on the film script, physical space within the location, how many dancers he would work with or other choreography, this was all provided on the day of the shoot. He is a talented creative individual with an excellent ability to adapt, overcome, create and has excellent people skills.

~ George Kirkham, Director from Muddy Icon (2007)

The savagery often makes for quite harrowing viewing. 4 Stars.

~ Magnus Huntly-Grant from AllThe Festivals.com (2009)

The orcs and the battles are suitably ugly.

~ Jennie Kermode from Eye for Film (2010)

all the performances have a skill level far above that which is usually evident in low-budget cinema.

~ Wendy Ide from The Times (2010)

Ronin provided his services as a fight choreographer on our recent production of Meri Christmas 2006. Working with actors with a wide range of ages and abilities he successfully created a suitable fight.

Ronin was a pleasure to have involved in the project, working well within the team, providing useful feedback and supporting the project through the tour. I would happy consider him for future projects.

~ Kate Allen, General Manager from RIFCO (2006)

There are a few genuine surprises. The first is just mechanical but it's slightly startling when the TV set chuntering out Hindi dramas blows up with a puff of smoke. The second is pretty horrifying when Raul's son attacks his father demanding power of attorney over his considerable assets.

~ Helen Taylor from Richmond & Twickenham Times (2006)

When you view these battles close up at ground level, it really is spectacular watching all your individual soldiers fighting to the death in melee combat as your artillery units fire a barrage of cannonballs at the supporting troops of your opponent.

~ Tim Welford from Coventry Telegraph (2010)

The game has been designed to achieve a new animation epic battle effect of faithfully portraying the fighting at the time.

~ Tech Arena (2010)

Scared horses flee the battlefield with riders being dragged along on the ground while their foot is caught in the stirrup, bodies are thrown or drop to the ground in a realistic manner

~ Starks from Australian Gamer (2009)

The two sabreurs were excellent; Roger Bartlett and Ronin Traynor gave an electrifying performance.

~ Richard Shannon / Producer & Director from Shannon & Clark Productions Ltd (2009)

This visually captivating theatre event is a wonderful example of how well video and live theatre can work together for modern audiences.

~ Sarah Toppland from The Evening Standard (2010)

You have to hand it to the West Wing Arts Centre in Slough. Its programme of entertainment is consistently varied and challenging. Staging a play like One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest last week was not an easy option. But director Ronin Traynor came up with a novel slant on the story of a rebellious newcomer, who stirs up his fellow patients at a mental home to fight back against the tyranny of the head nurse ...(Billy's death) was powerfully handled and if some of the show's directorial flourishes - including a doctor who comes out of the floor in a booth like a fairground fortune teller - were occassionally distracting, the emotional power of the piece still shone through.

~ Francis Batt from the Express (2008)

The cast’s energy was remarkable, building up to a crescendo in the final horrifying scenes of Desdemona’s murder.

~ Alice Williams from The York Press (2009)

Shakespeare's play emerges in sharp focus in this professional touring production as a clash between physical and psychological danger in the persons of Othello and Iago.

~ Mike Allen from The Portsmouth News (2009)

I loved the Iago/Roderigo scene where Iago goes so far as to use reverse psychology and give the dagger to Roderigo, and I was also in disbelief when Othello is having a seizure and Iago is about to kill him before being interrupted - beautiful choices!

~ public feedback (2009)

The scene I most enjoyed, and was most engaged in, was the final one. Audiences see Othello strangle his wife, Desdemona, as she lays peacefully in her bed. We hear and see his love for her, but see that tales of her betrayal by Iago, have got the better of him. Overall Othello was a dramatic and spectacular show.

~ Sonia Kapur from Maidenhead Advertiser (2009)

Ronin Traynor was recruited by Slough Young Peoples Centre and Mess Up The Mess Theatre Company to choreograph and train young actors in a key combat scenario within the production ‘Sex, Drugs and Last Minute Goals’ by local writer Mathew Carvalho.

Ronin successfully created a stylish but simple sequence that was effective in creating an atmosphere exploding with violence that was safe and in control. Working with hard to reach young people can be difficult but Ronin engaged easily with the actors and was encouraging and challenging at all times. The actors trusted his training and consequently took direction from him well.

I would not hesitate in hiring Ronin for further youth or professional work due to his commitment, talent, approach and dedication. Ronin was detailed in his critique and professional at all times. I look forward to an opportunity to take this partnership further.

~ Sarah Jones, Director from Mess Up the Mess (2004)

During our demo, we saw two ranks of katana samurai battling with each other and it looked even better than the thrilling combat in Empire. Add in support for up to 56,000 units in a single battle, and it's clear to see just how ambitious Shogun 2 really is.

~ Steve Butts from IGN Entertainment Games (2010)

Ronin made an invaluable contribution to the show with his exciting one-on-one fight with another actor – combatant. He devised a single-handed broadsword fight that was exciting and realistic. Feedback from audience members said that they were literally on the edge of their seats. He coped brilliantly with the added challenge of choreographing a scene for a thrust stage, with the audience on three sides of it. This seating arrangement makes it very difficult to conceal knaps and pulled moves but Ronin’s fluid, circular choreography handled this superbly.

He rapidly adapted some aspects of the choreography in order to fit in with the other fights and the demands of the music that was under-scoring the scene. He was very easy to work with, obliging and flexible.

He willingly participated in another scene (Beowulf’s funeral) and was a real team player. The actors were quick to tell me of their appreciation of his skill and contributions to the show, as well as his personal qualities.

~ Lindsay Lohan, Associate Director from Travesty Theatre Company (2006)

I had cast Ronin as one of my street thugs, looking at his extensive background in fight training helped me when casting him for the part.

From the beginning I had a clear vision of what I perceived from the fight scene in the film, Ronin not only conducted himself in a very professional manner, his input was also very helpful when it came to the realism of the scene.

He offered up a plethora of positive ideas helping to make my experience of choreographing a pleasant one, he worked very well with all of the team on set adjusting amazingly to anything that needed to be changed at the last minute, all the while not compromising his performance or the effect of the scene.

There were a couple of times where I asked quite a lot of him, like to take kicks dangerously close to his face in order to get a certain shot, and not only did he oblige but he helped with camera angles in which to make it look as real as possible.

All in all he was prompt, on time and a consummate professional both on set and during the chorography and was a pleasure to work with.

~ Jamie Montgomery (2006)

Though I won't reveal the details, there's a strangulation scene which is exceptionally realistic – presumably orchestrated by fight director Ronin Traynor. ... I seldom see a production that I'd like to see again, but with 'The Woman Before' I would have happily sat through the whole thing again immediately.

~ Peter Brown from London Theatre (2009)

Since opening in September 2005, the West Wing has booked Ronin Traynor to run stage combat workshops.

All the workshops have been extremely well received by the participants ranging in ages 14 – 70 yrs. The workshops have been well structured and pitched correctly for the participants’ ability and experience. The general consensus amongst participants was that the workshops were; great fun, built confidence and developed existing skills.

Ronin Traynor is a pleasure to work with, and the West Wing will continue to book his fantastic workshops in the future. I would not hesitate to recommend him for any venue.

~ Yasmin Gurreeboo / Manager from West Wing Arts Centre (2006)