Take three teenage tearaways facing expulsion at school, add a fourth, more serious student and plonk them in the middle of the Scottish Highlands for a weekend on the Duke of Edinburgh’s Award scheme. It’s a recipe for chaos – and it’s also the idea behind Get Duked!, an anarchic comedy and first feature from writer/director Ninian Doff.
The film’s “gang of four” find themselves up against increasing obstacles, from the beautiful but unforgiving landscape, to what the locals call “farmer’s courage” and a band of local aristocrats, all armed and meaning business. Combining outrageous humour with psychedelic effects, a dash of bloody horror and a side order of hip hop, it’s a comedy like no other – and proved to be something of a challenge for the young actors in the cast.
Lewis Gribben, Samuel Bottomley and Viraj Juneja (the fourth member of the gang, Rian Gordon, couldn’t make it to the interview – which is why he gets so much stick!) talked exclusively to us about the hardships of filming in the Highlands – and how their director managed to keep them under control. Or not.
Get Duked! is released on Amazon Prime on Friday, 28 August.
