escapelane

Outside Buchannan Galleries on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street,
100 invitations were distributed at random
to anyone who would accept them and inviting people to join me and escape

JH: Escape to the Country
Escape to the Country,
Escape to the Country, Join Me

Old man approaches:
JH: Hello, Escape to the Country, Do you live in the country or do you live in town?
Old man: Eh I live here
JH: Oh do you? I’m going to leave to Escape to the Country tomorrow morning and I’m inviting people to join me
Old man: Oh I see yeah
Old man leaves
JH: Escape to the Country
JH: Escape to the Country
Old man returns

Old man: Alright tell me the story
JH: Well really I’ve been thinking about Escaping to the Country and decided it was about time I actually did it
Old man: How are you getting there?
JH: I’m going to catch a bus
Old man: Right with who ever? How many have you got so far?
JH: Well I’m just starting. I’ve got 100 invitations to give out to people, You know so we’ll see. I know dawn is very early.
Old man: Well that’s alright. So how many takers have you got so far?
JH: Ah, none
Old man: None yet
JH: No none yet
Old man: Are you going to write a book?
JH: Write a book?, well I don’t know yet…probably a book, some pictures and things like that.
Old man: Well good for you…Why don’t you phone the Evening Times and get a reporter out and take a photograph
I laugh
Old man: Oh no that’s what you want to do
JH: Really
Old man: Oh yes
JH: Do you think this is important?
Old man: Yes vitally important, what you’re doing is unique, it’s interesting, it’s readable, it’s a story, it’s something different, yeah go for it, good for you. I’ll not be able to join you tomorrow.
JH: Ah well, You’ll have to do your own escape, everybody can do this can’t they?
Old man: Oh course. So what’s is this image here.
Looking at invitation
JH: Well it’s an idyllic picture, which is why I’m wearing this poncho
Old man: Did you draw this?
JH: No I took it from the fabric here
Old man: Are you an artist too?
JH: Yeah
Old man: Well you got a story to tell, you’re creating a lot of interest, you’ve got to go for it
JH: Alright well thank you very much, goodbye
Old man leaves again

JH: Escape to the Country
Escape to the Country, Join Me

Two girls approach:
JH: Escape to the Country
1st girl: Oh I would like to go to the country
JH: Would you? Well I’m leaving tomorrow morning at dawn
1st girl: To go to the country? Where?
JH: The country outside the city. Well I’m going to see if I can find it anyway
1st girl: I used to live near the country
JH: Did you? Near the country
1st girl: Well yeah
JH: But not in the country
1st girl: Well no
JH: I’m going to try and escape to the country tomorrow
2nd girl: I live on a mountainside
JH: Do you? Well that’s definitely the country. So is it all it’s cracked up to be?
2nd girl: What do you mean what its cracked up to be?
JH: Well I don’t know, this sort of escapism and…
1st girl: I wouldn’t like to live in the country
JH: So you like the city. Don’t you like to get out sometimes, do you think green space is important?
1st girl: Well I live quite near a park
JH: And that’s good enough?
1st girl: Yeah, I think that’s adequate for me
JH: Oh okay
1st girl: 5.53?
JH: Yeah well that’s dawn you see, I know it’s early
1st girl: That’s true, it would probably be the earliest ever for me. Are you going to be back by Nine?
JH: Ah No
1st girl: Okay, bye
Two girls leave

JH: Escape to the Country
JH: Escape to the Country
Passerby: No thanks
JH: Escape to the Country, I’m leaving tomorrow
JH: Escape to the Country
JH: Escape to the Country, No?
JH: Escape to the Country
JH: Escape to the Country
JH: Escape to the Country, I’m leaving tomorrow, Join me
JH: Escape to the Country
Passerby: Thank you

JH: Escape to the Country, I’m leaving tomorrow
Neds: Yeah whatever
JH: Escape to the Country, I’m leaving tomorrow
JH: Escape to the Country, would you like to escape?
JH: Escape to the Country
JH: Escape to the Country, I’m leaving tomorrow, Join me

Two women approach:
JH: Escape to the Country?
Woman: Sorry
JH: Escape to the Country? Yeah, I’m going to be leaving tomorrow morning
Woman: Where in the country?
JH: Um I don’t know, we’re just going to catch a bus
Woman: Are you?
JH: Yeah and go
Woman: I’m at work unfortunately, can’t do that
JH: Don’t you think you should just take the initiative and Just go? Don’t you really want to go?
Woman: No I need to work, I’ve got other responsibilities unfortunately, thanks for the offer.
JH: Oh well
Two women leave

JH: Escape to the Country, go on, everybody wants to
Passerby: I’m escaping out of the country
I laugh
JH: Escape to the Country
Passerby: No thanks

Young family approaches:,
JH: Escape to the Country? I’m leaving…I’m leaving to escape to the country tomorrow
Man speaks: What’s that?
JH: What’s that? Well its about just about escaping out of the city and getting into the countryside
Man speaks: To do what?
JH: Well to be in the country, to live the country dream. I’m leaving tomorrow at dawn. I’ll be here so if you’d like to come and join me
Man speaks: Do you need piles of money?
JH: No just going to catch a bus?
Man speaks: Are there a lot of people?
JH: Well I’m just trying to drum up support
Man speaks: Have you got a lot of pals and that going?
JH: Ah No
Man smiles
Man speaks: Well you never know I might see you
JH: Okay, bye
Young family leaves

JH: Escape to the Country
JH: Escape to the Country
JH: Escape to the Country, Join me, I’m leaving tomorrow.

The next morning
JH: It’s 5.54am, one minute after dawn
JH: Ah, nobody’s here
JH: 6.05am there’s still no-one here, so it’s time to escape