Six (at minimum five) people, each carrying a board, walk in a line from one surveillance camera to another. When the group is within a camera's field of vision, each person in turn stops, shows his/her board to the camera, and moves on, until everyone has done so. Then the group as a whole moves off (in line) to the next camera.
Each board shows the same smiling human figure saluting the same surveillance camera. In order of presentation, the boards proclaim:
It's OK, Officer
Just going to work
Just getting something to eat
Just going shopping
Just sightseeing
Going home now
If there are only five people, the first one displays the first two boards or one of the boards is dropped from the play on that occasion.
[Written for the Surveillance Camera Players by Monsieur le Art Toad.]
Manchester, England, 12 June 2001. A motley crew calling themselves the Surveillance Camera Players present: It's OK, Officer! Hey, I'm just going to work. Now I'm going to eat something to eat, you silly git. Well, I've had enough of this shit and I'm on my way home to watch TV.
Oxford Street, London, England, 15 June 2001. The main board; most of the boards displayed all at once; all four performers at once; look with new eyes; saluting a surveillance camera at The Gap; pointing to a camera at HMV Records; there's another one!
Mannheim, Germany, 20 May 2002. Alles klar, Herr Kommissar. Kids join the group and point at the surveillance cameras, again and again. Close-up. Newspaper picture of all three performers.
Munich, Germany, 22 May 2002. Composite showing performance and subsequent confrontation with Munich police.
Nuremberg, Germany, 23 May 2002: Alles Klar, Herr Kommissar. Just going to work. Going home now.
Contact the NY Surveillance Camera Players
By e-mail SCP@notbored.org
By snail mail: SCP c/o NOT BORED! POB 1115, Stuyvesant Station, New York City 10009-9998
