Here's a question for all of you!

Say you where booked to do a medival show and you want to end it with a great escape. What would it be?

Ideas, thoughts, don'ts, etc are very welcome.

/Ark

Ark-

Perhaps something along the lines of an escape from an Iron Maiden or a rack?

Allan

I'd give Stephen Midnight a PM if I were you.

You might consider one of Ian's steel strait jackets. They always remided me of a suit of armor or some type of medival torture device.
Tony

Me? I’d go for a simple (but heavy) stocks kind of escape. A pillory type would look nice and it would be fairly easy to make, historically accurate to the period, and make for a nice escape.

You could even do the version seen in the Anthony Quinn version of “The Hunchback of Notre Dame”. A large and heavy wheel like stock encased his hands and neck. The wheel-stock was then chained to heavy granite blocks that made up a whipping dais. A simple raised timber platform, some chains, and the stocks and viola, an escape worthy of the Middle Ages!

If the gig is to be outside,,,then any restraints that could hold you to a stake,,,stood on a couple of straw bales which are set alight,,,escape made by jumping through the flames etc.

Allan Given: A rack could be really fun in an act about torture. I belive I have some differnt methods in some of my books about escapes while lying down.

AJP807: Not entirely accurate to period, but could work. I don't really know how they look, what the escape looks like and how they work so its difficult for me to say. All I know is that they cost a lot. =)

Harry Murphy: That's a great idea! It could play really big. Will think about different approaches to such an escape. Excellent!

Kondini: That would be a blast! Perhaps tied to a pole, or chained. Have to be able to get out. Maybe use gimmicked rope - the evidence will burn anyway.

/Ark

Then there is the Gibbet Cage, the Scavenger's Daughter, the Sachentage (Spanish Collar) fastened Elizabethan 'witch hunt' style, the Little Ease...ah, so many fun toys of the period...!

Steve

How about escaping from a solid suit of armour, complete with helmet?

The things weight upwards of 100LBS, if you where wrapped in chains, and perhaps had some old school restraints on, I could see this being extremely entertaining to the public.

Something to think about!

Best,
RW

If one is to undergo the bother and expense of a full suit of armor PLUS chains and manacles, one may as well go the Gibbet Cage or Iron Maiden route.

Steve

You raise a good point my friend.

Just a thought.

I thinks Escaping from Stocks or Even a Cage escape would be quite enough. I cant remember the author but I just finished reading a book called "The History of Punishment and Torture" which I think would be able to give you quite a few good ideas. It has given me enough ideas for my WEAR Escape. If you so wish I can go to the library and getthe author's name for you.

Will there be water close by? If so, how about an escape from the dunking chair used to make witches confess?

Regards
Wolflock

You might also wish to search out a book called "Inquisition." It is a bi-lingual (English & Spanish) photo book of a torture device display toured by Amnesty International.

Steve

Sounds like the kind of book I would like to read too Steve. Thanks for that.

Regards
Wolflock

Hi, you could be chained and shackled to a witches dunking stool or chair. The chair is hung from the end of a long pole (horizontal) which is pivoted about one third along on two (verticals)posts. At the other end is a rope to raise and lower the pole and therefore chair into a river or lake. If the water was deep enough, you could have volunteers lower you into the water at intervals and out again. At the time of your chosing, you could escape while under water.

Ian